


Summer and Beyond

by aoidescop



Series: Summer and Beyond [1]
Category: Magical Diary
Genre: Complicated Relationships, F/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-20 08:03:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4779947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aoidescop/pseuds/aoidescop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Awen Berkeley has just finished her first year. Instead of going home for summer, she is left in the academy, as her parents fail to pick her up. Will her marriage endure three months of summer vacation? Grabiner/Main character.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Summer vacation

 

Awen woke up with a slight headache. She looked around the dorm room with bleary eyes. Virginia and Ellen still hadn’t returned from the May Day Ball. She wondered where they were, while rubbing her eyes. Her parents would be here soon. Awen decided to have a quick shower before getting changed.

The fresh warm water felt good. She couldn’t believe her first year was already over. A lot happened this year, including her marriage to Hieronymus, and the involvement with the demon boy…. _But, thank goodness it is over!_ Awen thought. She turned the water off, dried herself and got dressed in her casual clothes. It felt good to wear her jeans and t-shirt again. Like any other boarding schools, Iris Academy was strict on uniforms. She was looking forward to wearing whatever she wished to wear, and get up whenever she wanted to. As she was leaving the bathroom, she looked at the mirror. Who was that wide-eyed girl with messy hair? Awen felt that the year had changed her, perhaps, in a good way. _Who knows!_ She thought, as she walked back to the dorm.

As Awen was about to finish packing her things, the door opened, two weary looking girls entered the room.

‘How was it? You were out all night!’ Awen asked, yawning. Virginia yawned, and slumped into her bed.

‘Exhausting. I’ve had my fill of girly-girl stuff for the rest of my summer. I can’t wait till I go back home.’ Virginia yawned again.

‘I… enjoyed it. Donald was, such a… good dancer.’ Replied Ellen, with a slight colour to her cheeks. ‘Really…. Virginia….. he really isn’t that bad….’ Ellen’s voice trailed off as Virginia jumped up.

‘I knew it!’ Virginia exclaimed. ‘You ARE dating Donald!’ Ellen looked away. Awen couldn’t tell whether she was blushing or smiling.

‘I… Uh….’ Ellen stammered.

‘Who did you dance with, Virginia?’ Awen changed the topic.

‘No-one. I told you! I don’t DATE people. I have high standards, you know.’ Virginia winked. ‘But seriously, Ellen, eww!’ shouted Virginia. ‘This is going to be so awkward!’ Awen looked at Virginia, then Ellen, quizzically.

‘Why? I thought you were going to stay in the Academy during summer.’ Ellen looked at Awen, with guilt in her eyes.

‘I’m sorry Awen… I forgot to tell you. Virginia and I made the decision at the last minute, yesterday afternoon. I’ve decided to go back with Virginia, since her family was so nice last time… we tried to find you but we figured that you might be with Professor Grab….’ Ellen’s voice trailed off meekly.

‘Ellen, do you really have to be gross this morning? I am sure she went for a walk or something. Right, Awen?’ Virginia looked at her with such confidence in her eyes Awen started to blush. ‘Oh no… no way. You did. What happened? Actually, don’t tell me. Ellen dating Donald is enough of a news for the day.’ Virginia sighed.

‘Uh, well, uh…’ Awen started. Both Ellen and Virgina looked at her. ‘Uh….’ Awen didn’t want to tell them of her first kiss with Hieronymous. _Probably not a good idea,_ Awen decided. ‘Yeah. I did go and visit him, but nothing really happened. We talked about music, wine and you know, other things that people talk about when they can’t go to the ball.’ Awen muttered.

‘Oh that’s ok. I thought you kissed him or something. Now that would be really gross.’ Virginia laughed. ‘Oh! Ellen, you must pack! My parents will be here soon. Gosh I AM tired…’ Virginia yawned again.

‘Did you dance all night?’ Awen asked. Both girls nodded. ‘It was fun, but now I regret it. I need to pack!’ Virginia shouted, throwing all her clothes into her suitcase with panic.

‘OK… I better see if my parents are here. They said in their last letter that they were extremely busy, and that they would have to come and pick me up early...’ Awen sighed. Ellen looked at her.

‘Are you OK, Awen? Is there something wrong?’ Awen sighed.

‘It’s just that….I feel disconnected from my parents. They talk about how their practice is getting bigger, and how they are always busy… but I can’t tell them what I am doing. You know. The stuff that Potsdam warned us when we first accepted our fate.’ Ellen put a hand on Awen’s shoulder.

‘I know. It’s hard. But at the end of the day, things will work out. You can always ask Potsdam to do memory wipe.’ Awen shook her head.

‘It would kill me to never see my parents again. After all, they are my parents.’ Ellen nodded with knowning look in her eyes. After all, she’d been through all that.

‘I know. Well, good luck.’ Awen smiled. Ellen was a good friend.

‘Come here you two, give me a hug. I will miss you both!’ Awen threw arms around both of them.

‘Have a great holiday! Don’t forget to write to us!’ Virginia said, giving her a bear hug.

‘I’ll miss you Awen… good luck with your parents. Don’t worry too much about Professor Grabiner…OK? It will soon be over anyway. It’s a contract after all. Enjoy your holiday.’ Ellen said, giving her a squeeze around her arms.

Awen nodded, and hugged them back. ‘See you very soon!’ Awen said, cheerfully, as she walked out to the courtyard to see if her parents were waiting.

To her surprise, her parents were still not there for her. _I thought they were going to be here early!_ Awen thought, a bit annoyed. _Where ARE they?_

Awen walked around the courtyard briskly to control her anxiety. Where were they? She knew that her parents had been busy recently, but surely they hadn’t forgotten her? Awen looked down at her feet, trying to calm herself down. _They’ll be here soon, Awen. Don’t be ridiculous._

When Awen looked up, she saw Potsdam and Hieronymous walking towards her. _Oh no, what’s going on?_ Awen immediately thought.

‘Awen! You’re just the person I wanted to see. How are you feeling, darling?’ Potsdam smiled. Potsdam had such a positive effect on people – for a moment, Awen felt that everything was going to be all right.

‘Uh…. Good day, Professor Potsdam. I’m fine, I guess? Just waiting for my parents. They said that they would be here early morning, but they must be running late… they’re busy people I suppose… Good day, Hiero… Professor Grabiner.’ Awen mumbled. Hieronymous nodded ever so slightly she wasn’t sure if he’d heard her.

‘Hieronymous! Be nicer to your wife. Semester’s over, after all! You don’t have to be so formal you know.’ Potsdam scolded him. Hieronymous glared Potsdam, but didn’t say anything.

‘What’s going on, professor?’ Awen said. Both Potsdam and Hieronymous looked at her.

‘Awen, sweetie, I have some bad news for you.’ Awen’s heart sank. She looked at Potsdam with a frown.

‘It’s my parents, isn’t it?’ Awen whispered. Potsdam nodded.

‘I just received a mail from your father – they can’t make it in today, pumpkin pie.’ Awen gasped. How can this be? They promised in their last letter! She knew that they were busy, but what black magic was this?

‘But, how….’ Awen started.

‘Here. Read the letter.’ Potsdam pulled out the letter from her pocket. It was her dad’s handwriting, all right.

_Dear Professor Potsdam._

_It is with a great regret that I am sending you this letter. An emergency has arisen in our clinic and we will not be able to pick Awen up today._

_What luck, though, as you mentioned in your last letter that since Awen is performing so well, that she is eligible for a summer scholarship. My wife and I decided that it would be best if Awen remained in the academy to further improve her skills. So, if it not an inconvenience to you, we would like her to remain in the academy during summer vacation._

_Please let Awen know of the circumstances. We will come and visit her before the vacation ends. Of course, we will advise you prior to our arrival. Please let Awen know that we will be in touch soon._

_Send her our love,_

_Kind regards,_

_Dr. G. Berkeley._

Awen couldn’t believe it. Emergency? How can this be? What was going on? She felt betrayed and angry. She could feel a hard lump in her throat, but decided not to cry in front of her husband. He wouldn’t understand it after all.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. It was Potsdam.

‘I know how you feel sweetheart, but there’s always a good side to every bad side! You get to spend more time with Hieronymous. Isn’t that great, dear?’ Awen looked at her eager face. She managed to stammer yes. She couldn’t believe it. Surely, she was more important to them than their stupid medical practice? They’ve been running it for years!

‘I thought, since the weather is so nice, you lovebirds can have a picnic. I’ve asked the chef to make a basket for you.’ Potsdam smiled. Awen looked at Hieronymus. She couldn’t tell whether he was pleased or angry. Now was not the time to think about it. Awen’s head started to hurt again. It was too much to think about.

Suddenly, everything around her started to spin. It was too much for her. She felt her body collapse, and the last thing she remembered was someone calling her name. It sounded very familiar. Then, everything went black.


	2. The beginning

When Awen opened her eyes again, she was able to just catch the last ray of the sun before it disappeared into the horizon. The bed felt comfortable. _That’s strange,_ Awen thought. Her bed never felt comfortable. Suddenly, she realised that this wasn’t her bed. Panicked, she looked around her surroundings. She could see a candlelight flickering next to a great stack of books, and a shadow next to it, hunched over the desk.

 _Oh no,_ she thought. _I’m in his room. What am I doing here? What happened?_

The last thing Awen remembered was feeling dizzy, and everything going black. _Potsdam must’ve insisted in bringing me here,_ Awen thought. Hieronymous would never even offer it to her, not in a million years. _I must get out before he notices,_ Awen thought. In hindsight, that was a very silly thing to do. She started to move when she felt a sharp shooting pain near her right shoulder. Without thinking, Awen cried out in pain. The shadow immediately turned around.

‘You are awake.’ Hieronymous said, curtly. He still was avoiding addressing her by name. Awen opened her mouth to respond, but the pain returned. What had happened? She didn’t remember falling and hitting her shoulder…

‘I suggest you not to move.’ Awen looked down. She felt so embarrassed and ashamed. _Why was she in his bed?_ ‘Professor Potsdam should be here soon with some potion and your dinner.’

‘I, uh, I am so, so sorry, Professor.’ Awen started. ‘I didn’t mean to cause you any inconvenience…’ Awen finished. She couldn’t look him in the eye, in fear that he would give her his famous death stare. The death stare he gave her when Minnie told the entire school of her marriage to him. For a moment, uncomfortable silence filled the room.

‘It isn’t your fault. After all, that wretched women insisted that you should be taken care of.’ Hieronymous responded with a sigh. Awen couldn’t tell whether he was resigned or exasperated at the situation. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘My right shoulder – I must’ve fallen on it – it hurts.’ Awen stammered. Hieronymous closed his book with a sigh, stood up, and walked up to the bed. Awen panicked.

‘No, no I am fine… I don’t wish to disturb your, uh, reading….’ Awen’s voice trailed off as she started to blush. It was only yesterday they kissed, and now, she was in his bed. _What a bizarre turn of events!_ Awen thought. _How embarrassing!_

‘Let me have a look at your shoulder.’ Hieronymous said. ‘Can you sit up?’ Awen nodded, and exerted herself to lift her torso up from the bed. The pain returned, and tears started to form in her eyes.

‘Idiot girl! You should’ve said no. It was a question, not a command.’ Hieronymous gritted under his breath.

‘I’m sorry, sir…’

‘Stay still. I’m going to cast some healing spells. Where’s that woman when I need her! My green magic isn’t as good as Professor Potsdam’s, but I’ll try something.’ Hieronymous muttered. Awen could hear him muttering some words, perhaps some enchantment. A warm sensation filled her right shoulder. She immediately felt much better.

‘I suggest that you sit up, but not to move from the bed.’ He said. ‘Until Professor Potsdam returns.’ He added hastily.

Awen nodded; quickly propping herself up against the stacks of pillow while the green magic was working. She couldn’t help but shoot a quick look at his face. Was he worried? Awen thought she saw a tinge of concern before realising that she was staring. Awen looked away, blushing.

At that moment, there was a brisk knock on the door and she heard Potsdam’s voice.

‘Hieronymous! It’s me. Is Awen awake?’ Hieronymous sighed and opened the door.

‘About time you arrived. Yes. The girl has been awake for good five minutes.’ Potsdam looked at Awen, then Hieronymous, and smiled.

‘Ah, Hieronymous, isn’t spending quality time amazing?’ Potsdam beamed. Hieronymous grunted.

‘She seemed to have hurt her right shoulder. I’ve casted _Numb_ , however I believe this is _your_ area of expertise.’ Hieronymous said.

‘Oh, I’m sure you’re as equally good in green magic as I am, Hieronymous.’ Potsdam said, still smiling. ‘Here. Awen. Drink this. This should help with your headache and your shoulder.’ Awen was handed a tiny black potion bottle. She grudgingly drank the content, and squinted her eyes. What poison was she giving out?

‘That’s disgusting!’ She cried. Potsdam looked at her.

‘Good things always taste bitter. You should know that by now!’ Potsdam waved her finger in front of her as she took the bottle away. Hieronymous looked indifferent to the situation. It was so difficult to see what he was thinking. Awen blushed again. Why was she blushing? The marriage was temporary, and there was no reason to think that Hieronymous had same feelings for her as Awen did for him. Awen nodded, and looked at Potsdam. Perhaps Potsdam wasn’t trying to poison her after all. She was starting to feel better with mobility slowly returning to her arm.

‘I feel so, so much better, thanks to you.’ Awen said sincerely. ‘Now, I must get going, after all, I need to unpack my suitcase again…’ Awen started, as she tried to get out of the bed.

‘Don’t get up, sweetheart. I think you’ve sprained your shoulder and it’s best to get some bed rest. I think Hieronymous should be looking after you for the next couple of days. The school’s over, so there is no need to be _secret_ about this - and as I was saying before, this would be a great time for both of you to get to know each other.’ Potsdam said. Awen looked at Potsdam, with her eyes wide open. She couldn’t believe this woman. Was she really a headmistress? She could not share a room with a grown man, let alone his bed! What would her parents think!

‘Petunia, you’re going too far with this.’ Hieronymous growled. ‘I wish to be left alone. You know as well as I do that I enjoy my privacy!’ He raised his voice. Awen flinched. She wasn’t used to people shouting, and that made her uncomfortable.

‘Now, now, Hieronymous, remember your vows. You offered her your _protection_ and _wisdom_. Now might be a good time to actually put that in use!’ Potsdam said. ‘Look at Awen! You’ve scared the poor girl.’ Awen blushed again. ‘Isn’t it lucky that she’ll be staying in the academy during summer? She can stay here, with you, and no one will bother both of you, since nearly all first years have returned home now. It’ll be a good time to spend time together, and get to know each other. There’s only one way to do that. Since you’re an expert at avoiding people, this really is the best solution!’ Potsdam finished.

Awen wanted to run away as fast as possible, but her injury prevented her from doing so. _God dammit!_ She thought. _Why am I always getting into sticky situation?_

‘And why do you think, Petunia, that I’ll comply with this absurd request?’ Hieronymous snorted.

‘Because Aloysius is visiting soon. Surely you’ve not forgotten.’ Potsdam replied. _Aloysius?_ Awen thought. _Isn’t that his father?_ Hieronymous dropped his book. For a moment, Awen thought that he was going to shout at Potsdam again. The tension in the room increased.

‘I will NOT be sharing my bed.’ Hieronymous muttered. Awen was surprised at how yielding he was towards Potsdam. It was as if she was his mother. Potsdam had such effect on people, but Awen never thought it’d work on Hieronymous as well.

‘Hieronymous, try to be logical here. It’s 7pm at night, and no shops are open at this time of the night for you to go and get a spare bed.’ Potsdam said, with a bit of annoyance in her voice. The pinks in her hair was starting to turn to dark red colour. Awen never knew Potsdam’s hair could change colour until today. This was getting rather interesting.

‘We can teleport her bed into the room, if you so insist, Petunia.’ Hieronymous replied with equal annoyance in his voice.

‘You know as well as I do that student beds aren’t designed for such injury Awen has.’ Potsdam replied. Hieronymous didn’t respond. Instead, he glared at Potsdam. Awen was sure that she was going to receive 10, no 20 demerit points for this. _Why was Potsdam being so difficult?_ Awen thought. _Has she finally lost it?_

After a minute of tensed silence in the room, Potsdam clapped her hands and beamed.

‘Well, that’s settled then. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone for the night! Awen, your suitcase is just outside the door – I’m sure Hieronymous will assist you with that. Good night, you two!’ Potsdam winked and left.

Awen felt uncomfortable. She didn’t want to look at Hieronymous. _He must really, really hate me now._ Awen thought. _And to spend next couple of days, no, next couple of months in a same room with him! Fancy that!_

A sudden pang in her stomach made her realise that she was hungry. Potsdam left the tray on the desk Hieronymous was sitting. She wanted to get up and get it herself, but did not dare to move in case the pain returned. She could cast _Fetch_ , however she didn’t want to ruin his bedsheets either. After tossing between getting up and asking Hieronymous, Awen meekly asked.

‘Uh, Professor, do you mind if I have some dinner?’ Awen looked at him. For the first time that night, Hieronymous looked Awen in the eyes, and sighed.

‘You don’t have to keep on calling me Professor or Sir, Awen. In privacy of our room, and during summer vacation, you can call me by my first name. I’ll still expect you to respect me in front of other students, however.’ He replied, with a soften gaze. Awen smiled nervously. Perhaps he didn’t want Potsdam to find out about last night’s kiss. It wasn’t going to be that bad, after all.

‘Petunia brought you some soup, but I’m going to go downstairs and grab proper meal. Do you wish to have this, or would you rather I bring you what I’m having?’ Hieronymous asked. Awen hesitated. _Why was he being so nice? It wasn’t his nature to be nice to anyone, especially her._

 ‘I don’t like soups…’ Awen started. Hieronymous stood up.

‘That’s settled. I’ll take this down and bring you something more edible. Despite what Petunia said, I think you’ll be fit to move now. Just don’t over-exert yourself. I’ll bring your suitcase in, and you can use the facilities in this room at your leisure. The bathroom is through the left door. I’ll return soon.’ Hieronymous said, as the suitcase was brought into the room, possibly by teleportation.

Awen blushed again. She would have to go to bathroom in his room. _Gosh, she thought, since when did I blush so much?_

‘Of course – before I forget, I’ll make a space in the room to put your things away. I’m a very particular person, Awen. I’d rather that you not touch my belongings. You can put your things in this wardrobe. You’ll find that it is bigger than it looks, so you will be able to fit most of your things in. If not, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.’ Hieronymous said, pointing to a small wardrobe in the corner. It did look small, but Awen knew better than say anything other than nod. With that, he left, closing the door behind him silently.

 


	3. Nightfall

Awen breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind him. As much as she enjoyed spending time with Hieronymous, she didn’t expect this turn of events. It was all too strange, really, that her parents failed to turn up at the last minute. _I wonder if there is magic involved in this,_ thought Awen. _I will have to wait and see._

Awen took a moment to digest the events that happened today. It was embarrassing enough that she was in his room, but the thought of having to go to bathroom in the presence of Hieronymous made Awen uncomfortable. _I better use the bathroom before he returns!_ _The last thing I want to do is caught naked. I still have some dignity left, and must preserve it._ Awen thought to herself.

Awen got up, and realized that her right shoulder still didn’t feel right. The pain was nearly gone, but she didn’t want to push her luck too far. Carefully, Awen scanned the room. The room was filled with books. It was not surprising, given that Hieronymous enjoyed spending time with books rather than people. The room was tidy though, and Awen didn’t dare to disrupt anything. She found her suitcase next to the tiny wardrobe Hieronymous nominated for her. It really did look small. Awen sighed, opened her suitcase and started to put piles of clothes on the floor. Her toiletries were at the bottom of the suitcase, and she had to take everything out of her suitcase to find them.

‘I’ll put things away after a quick shower,’ Awen muttered to herself. ‘Perhaps it’ll help me to clear my head.’

Awen grabbed a pair of pajamas and dressing gown from the pile of clothes, and walked into the bathroom. The bathroom was bigger than it looked from the outside. Dark purple and gold dominated the bathroom, almost giving it a regal feel. Perhaps Hieronymous did enjoy being a noble, even though he hardly mentioned it. She could see his family emblem on the top of the mirror. The bathroom had a shower and a bathtub – which Awen appreciated. The common bathroom she shared with other girls only had a small shower, with hardly any room to move around. _If I don’t get divorced, I might be able to have a bath when he is out!_ Awen chuckled to herself, and suddenly, it hit her. She wasn’t sure how Hieronymous thought of their marriage. Sure, he kissed her yesterday, and appeared to be concerned for her welfare today, but she could never tell what that peculiar man was thinking. _Will I still be married to him by the end of the summer?_ Awen thought. The thought of divorce made her sad. She didn’t understand nor wanted to understand why.

To distract her from such thoughts, Awen had a hot shower. The water felt good on her scalp. Awen wondered why Hieronymous flinched when Potsdam mentioned his father’s name. She wanted to ask, but knew better than that. _I might ask Potsdam tomorrow, if I’m up to it._ Awen thought. _I should really write to my parents too._

Awen turned the shower off, quickly dried herself and got dressed. She combed her long black hair, trying to dry it with her towel at the same time. She didn’t dare to use breeze – last time she attempted, Ellen didn’t speak to her for three days! _The mess it made!_ Awen laughed at herself. Virginia thought it was funny, but Ellen, who liked her room tidy, didn’t appreciate it. Awen certainly didn’t wish to do so in _HIS_ bathroom. _Well,_ she thought. _It might be a good time to brush upon my red and green magic._ She was proficient in blue, black and white magic, but her red and green lacked skills. After today’s incident, Awen realized how important green magic was _. I’ll go to the library tomorrow. I must remember the book Ellen was reading…._ She thought to herself, fasting her dressing gown around her.

Hieronymous was still nowhere to be seen. Awen sighed. She was getting rather hungry. She decided to put her things away while waiting, so that he wouldn’t see the mess she created. Awen opened the wardrobe, and gasped. It was much bigger than she thought. _Black magic, of course!_ She thought. _Clever._

* * *

 

Hieronymous swore under his breath as he carried the darned soup tray back to the kitchen. He couldn’t make sense of today’s events – he suspected Petunia’s involvement, and of course, his father’s, however he couldn’t put his finger on it. _I’ll confront Petunia tomorrow,_ he thought. _That woman is always up to something I don’t know about._ He didn’t appreciate that Miss Berkeley – Awen – was to stay in his room. For some reason, Petunia had a level of power over him. Perhaps it was due to her taking on the role of his substitute mother, given that his mother never bothered to show up for any of his birthdays. Or perhaps it was because he knew Petunia’s powers. In any case, Petunia had a point. He had promised Awen to give his protection and wisdom. The girl was bright – but incredibly foolish at the same time. He wondered why that was the case with most wildseeds. She reminded him of Violet – who he –

Hieronymous stopped. The tray dropped from his hands, cracking the bowl and spilling the soup everywhere. The memories of Violet pained him. It had almost been ten years since that fatal day. He could still not accept that he was so powerless. Her scream still ringed in his ears. He was so young, with such a bright future – and his curiosity had made him loose everything he loved and owned. His eyes turned dark as he recalled those sinister memories.

It had been a good five minutes until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

‘Petunia.’ Hieronymous murmured. ‘What are you doing here?’.

‘I heard the noise and ran down. I thought it could’ve been one of the students getting into mischief, and then I saw you. Here. Let me help you clean up.’ Petunia smiled. Hieronymous recomposed himself and frowned. Did she know what he was thinking about?

‘Thank you, but I can manage.’ Hieronymous answered, while casting a cleaning spell.

‘How is Awen?’ Petunia asked. Hieronymous frowned.

‘She didn’t wish to have the soup – so I was on my way to get something more substantial.’ Hieronymous answered. How was he supposed to know? He left – no – ran away – as soon as she left.

‘Ah – young love. Always willing to go a step further.’ Petunia beamed. ‘Here – let me help you. You cannot possibly carry two trays back to your room!’

Hieronymous sighed. It had been a long day, and he didn’t wish to argue anymore. He followed Petunia into the kitchen, grabbed two trays of stew, and returned to the room.

‘Hieronymous, you must be patient with Awen.’ Petunia began, as they walked back to the room. ‘She is only young you know. Ten years is a long time for someone to mature.’ Hieronymous stopped. Ten years. That was a familiar number. It has been ten years since Violet died. Of course. There was ten years of gap between himself and Awen.

‘I don’t like it.’ Hieronymous muttered. Petunia looked at him.

‘What don’t you like?’ Petunia asked. Hieronymous turned around sharply. He had forgotten about Petunia’s presence. _Idiot!_ He thought.

‘I don’t like… the smell of the stew.’ Hieronymous answered quickly. Petunia was the last person he wished to discuss his thoughts tonight.

‘Ah – dear – it _is_ getting late. Perhaps we can go and talk to the chef tomorrow. Besides, you can retire early tonight. No classes to teach, you know!’ Petunia laughed. ‘Here we are! Now, let me teleport the tray into your room – I’m sure Awen doesn’t wish to see me again. Have a good rest, Hieronymous. Please don’t make Awen uncomfortable. After all, it was a mutual agreement!’ Petunia casted the spell, and within the blink of his eyes, she was gone.

 

* * *

 

Awen nearly jumped out of her skin when a tray appeared on the desk. She was nearly done with unpacking. Within seconds, Hieronymous appeared through the door.

‘Uh…. Thanks.’ Awen mumbled, standing up. ‘I didn’t expect you to teleport into the room.’ Hieronymous grunted.

‘I see that you’ve made use of the space.’ He replied. Awen nodded. ‘Have you finished with your suitcase?’ Awen looked at him, confused. What did he mean? She finished unpacking, yes, but it was _her_ suitcase, not his.

Hieronymous saw the confusion in her eyes. He sighed.

‘I only have one desk in the room. If you wished to, I can transform your suitcase into a desk so you may eat off it.’ Did he really have to spell every single thing out to her?

‘Oh. Right. Yes.’ Awen nodded, feeling foolish. She was tired, and her brain wasn’t working tonight. Hieronymous muttered something, and her suitcase turned into a small table.

‘You may sit on the foot of the bed. Tomorrow, I’ll have to source another chair. I didn’t …expect a guest tonight.’ Awen smiled. When he wasn’t horrible, he was rather cute. Hieronymous put the tray he was holding on the table. ‘Dinner.’

They both ate silently, Awen on the bed and Hieronymous on his small desk. Silence filled the room. Awen hated silence. When she was young, her cousins used to play a game – and she could never win, since she could never shut up. After couple of mouthful of her stew, Awen opened her mouth.

‘You know, I always wanted to be a researcher when I was young.’ Awen started. Hieronymous didn’t respond. ‘My parents are doctors, and from the moment I was born, they wanted to me to follow their footstep. Funny, since I was never interested in biology. I was more interested in science, animals, and building things with my hand. Of course, my dad being himself only bought me books about human anatomy. It was really hard, you know, trying to be someone that you knew it wasn’t you. Then one day, Professor Potsdam appeared, and my world changed. I felt liberated from the pressure. I always thought magic was a bit of folklore, but it wasn’t! She told me that I was destined to be a witch, and if I wanted to, I could. I wanted to tell my parents, but Professor Potsdam made me swear an oath. She told me that a witch’s oath is eternal, and that it is bound by my soul and blood.’ Awen stopped to have a drink. Her voice was cracking.

Hieronymous stopped eating, and looked at her with curiosity. _Why is she telling me this?_

‘So I came here. Of course, my parents don’t know what I’mdoing. Last time I went back, they thought I was in a prestigious school for gifted children. It’s funny how people only see things they want to see. Anyway, I thought my life might be better here, being a witch and all, since it was my _destiny_. But now, I’m not too sure. Ever since I arrived at Iris academy, all I’ve done is screw up. Funny really, because I try hard not to. Do you know Virginia? Of course you do. Her brother is Donald, your favorite student. She’s from magical family, and even though she goes to gym every weekend and the mall, instead of studying, she always passes her exams with flying colours. Ellen and I have to study all weekend, even to get through the exams…’ Awen could feel tears swelling up. Why was she telling him this? She didn’t know. She didn’t dare to look at him either, in case she saw judgment in his eyes.

‘Do you want to know something funny? Well, it’s not really funny. I don’t know why I am telling you this, because you probably think it’s gross. I always wanted to have pet rats. My parents didn’t let me have any pets because, well, they thought it would disrupt their perfect home. My Mum loves to clean and look after the house. You know, appearance orientated. They’re always having people over for dinner, so presentation is important. Anyway, one day, just before I came here, my friend’s rat had pups. She asked me if I wanted one. So I said yes, and when they were old enough, she gave me two of them. They were so cute. I was exhilarated, but didn’t dare to tell my parents. So I brought them home, and kept them in my wardrobe. This went for couple of weeks, and mind you, I was surprised that Mum didn’t find out! One day, though, when I was at school, she found them, and had killed them. I was devastated when I returned home. She was really mad at me, you know, but I was mad at her. How could you kill something so small like that? I mean, why did she have to kill them? They were only rats, and they weren’t doing anything harmful…’ Tears started to stream down her face.

Hieronymous didn’t know what to say. He certainly didn’t feel like eating. He put his spoon down, and looked at Awen. She was crying, but he didn’t know why. He didn’t know what to do either. Was he supposed to go and comfort her? He did not know. He was utterly confused.

‘Sorry. It was traumatic. I think that’s when the relationship with my parents started to turn sour. They told me that I always disappointed them, and that they were happy to see me to go to boarding school. They said that some discipline would knock some senses in me. Sometimes, I wonder why they had me. My dad’s always working, and my mum is more interested in her career and social life. In a way, I’m glad that I’m not going home this summer. It would’ve been so dull, going home, and having to entertain mum’s friends…and all the lies I would have to tell them, about what I was doing in the boarding school. Fancy telling them I’m now married! Mum and dad would have a heart attack.’ Awen smiled. She felt foolish, but at the same time, she felt a bit better. She wiped the tears off her face, and looked up. ‘I’m sorry… for all this. I mean it. I swear that I won’t get in your way. I can sleep on the floor if you’d like. I’ll have a chat to Professor Potsdam. I can even return to my dorm room tomorrow. I’m sure I can just transport my stuff with magic.’

Hieronymous flinched. He didn’t expect that from her. He wasn’t used to having someone around, let along having a heart-to-heart conversation. _Stop being foolish_ , he thought. _Why do you have to keep on running away? She’s just being honest, yet you can’t…_ He was starting to enjoy her company, but didn’t wish to show it…yet.

He stood up, and sat next to her. Involuntarily, he put his arms around her. He was thinking of things to say. What could he say? There was so much on his mind; yet, he couldn’t verbalize any one idea.

They sat on the bed together, for a while. Awen felt awkward, but at the same time, she felt safe and happy. _He doesn’t hate me, after all._ Awen thought.

‘Tomorrow we’ll go to the malls.’ Hieronymous said, finally breaking the silence. Awen nodded. She didn’t care at this point. For the moment, everything felt right. She felt drowsy.

‘Also, there’s no need for you to sleep on the floor. You can have the right side of the bed. I will, however, not tolerate you crossing the boundaries.’ Hieronymous started, with his stern voice, when he realized that Awen was already asleep. Hieronymous sighed. He carried her to the bed, tucked her in, and transported the trays back to the kitchen. He would sit up for a little while to clear his head. He turned the lights off, and casted a spell so to light up the desk area only. _Tonight is going to be a long night._ He thought, as he gazed into the empty space.


	4. Cauldridge

Awen was woken up when the first ray of sun hit her face. She felt well rested. For the past couple of weeks, she hadn’t been getting a good night’s sleep, perhaps due to the stress of the exams. The exams in the Iris Academy were always unexpected, and this was something Awen found very difficult. In her old school, she always knew what she was going to be examined on – but here, everything was to be done on your knowledge and your intuition. Awen and Ellen had to spend enormous amount of time studying – even during weekend – but people like Virginia and Donald seemed to get away with just attending the classes. Perhaps it was because they were from magical families. The magic _ran_ through their vein, Virginia used to say. Ellen always seemed to get upset about this, but Awen did not mind it. It was what it was after all. It was one of the perks of being a wildseed.

Wildseed. Ellen did not like people calling her _wildseed_. ‘It’s such a stupid name. Who came up with that?’ She used to say. Awen didn’t know, since Potsdam didn’t offer Magical History in the first year. She would have plenty of time to study that this summer though, since she wasn’t going anywhere for three months. _Perhaps I can start today. There will be less people in the library._ Awen thought, when she suddenly realized that she was still in Hieronymous’ bedroom. They were to go to the mall today, and she’d forgotten about it. Where was he, anyway? He was not in the bed…

She turned around to get out of the bed, when she noticed Hieronymous slumped on the chair, sleeping. _He must have stayed there all night,_ she thought. _I really should get back to my room. He can’t sleep on the chair for three months. I don’t wish to cause any more inconvenience. He seems to be warming up to me, but I don’t want to push my luck too far…_

Awen got out of the bed as quietly as she can; however the floors creaked whenever she moved. _Darn it!_ She thought. _I really need to brush up on my black magic. I could’ve transformed the floor into a carpet or something!_ She focused on blue and white magic this year – which wasn’t bad thing, really, but she was starting to realize that she should’ve taken a balanced approach. All magic was important, after all. It was a bit too late though, as Hieronymous started to move. Awen cursed in her head and decided to wish him good morning.

‘Goo, good morning, uh, Hieronymous,’ Awen started. ‘I’m sorry – I must’ve fallen asleep last night. You can have your bed back. I was just about to go back to my room.’ Hieronymous looked at her with his tired eyes. Awen instantly regretted saying the last sentence. There was moment of pain in his eyes. Awen wondered, for a moment, if he _actually_ didn’t mind her staying in his room.

‘And why is that?’ He replied with his cold voice. Awen shuddered. Why did he always have to be cold to her? She knew he had _issues_ , but still.

‘I don’t want you to sleep on the chair.’ Awen replied. ‘I might not be good at green magic, but I know some practical things. Sleeping on the chair is not good for your back, nor your overall health.’ She replied, with an air of authority. ‘Given that you don’t find it comfortable sleeping in the same bed with… me, which I totally understand, I think we should return to our respective beds.’

Hieronymous looked at Awen, and smiled faintly. He couldn’t argue with her logic. Awen was known for her assertiveness and logical arguments, and it was a characteristic he admired. He didn’t suffer fools lightly. Perhaps she was right. He couldn’t sleep on the chair forever. He cleared his throat.

‘There’s no need for you to return to your dormitory.’ He started. Awen looked at him with quizzical eyes. Wasn’t it just yesterday that he didn’t wish her to be here? What had changed?

‘After all, Petunia is right. We are married, regardless of the circumstances. This might be an only way for you – no, me – to get to know each other.’ He stammered. He could feel Awen smiling. _Fool!_ He thought.

‘Okay. I’m sure we can find a bed in the mall today. I’ve never seen any furniture shops in the mall near school though.’ Awen stated. Hieronymous smiled again.

‘We won’t be going there.’ Awen looked at him. ‘We’ll be going to Cauldridge.’

‘What’s Cauldridge?’ Awen started, when he felt Hieronymous’ eyebrow rise. ‘I mean, of course, it must be a mall, but where is it?’ Hieronymous closed his eye, chuckled to himself and reminded himself that she was a wildseed. He’d forgotten that she’d never been to any other magical communities other than Iris Academy.

'Cauldridge is in London. It’s one of the biggest mall, if you can call it that, in the northern hemisphere.’ Hieronymous started, getting back into his lecturing mode. ‘Cauldridge was founded by Sir Ewen, when…’ Hieronymous stopped when he saw Awen yawn in the corner of his eyes. Instead of getting angry, he smiled. It was summer vacations, after all. He didn’t need to lecture anyone for the next three months.

‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to disrupt you or be rude. Please continue.’ Awen said.

‘No, no. You’ll see it for your self. The year is over, after all.’ Hieronymous replied. ‘Have you a wand?’

Awen nodded. It wasn’t a good quality wand, but it was all they had in the magical store nearby. ‘Show it to me.’ Hieronymous ordered. Awen scrambled to her wardrobe and pulled out a stick that looked as if it was going to snap in any minute. He shook his head. ‘We’ll need to get you a proper wand.’

Awen beamed. _Today is going to an exciting day!_ Awen thought. She had never been to any other magical communities outside Iris academy, and to top it off, she was going to spend some quality time with her husband. Hieronymous looked at Awen, and smiled. He wasn’t doing so badly so far. It was going to be a good day.

 

* * *

 They took turns using the bathroom, and got ready quickly. Awen was surprised when she saw Hieronymous in normal clothes. He never wore anything other than the modified uniform. He looked… younger.

‘You look nice,’ Awen started. Hieronymous flinched. He wasn’t used to receiving complements. ‘You look younger.’

‘Are you saying that I look old?’ Hieronymous said, with edge in his voice. Awen laughed.

‘Why are you so defensive? I never said that.’ Awen said. ‘How old are you anyway? I do not know your age, but you know mine. That is not very fair.’

Hieronymous snorted. ‘Life is not fair.’ Awen pouted. ‘I am… twenty-seven.’ He replied, feeling judged.

‘That’s not too bad! It’s only ten years gap. My dad is seven years older than my mum. It’s quite normal to be older than your wife, you know.’ Awen started. ‘At least you aren’t thirty-five! Virginia thinks you are thirty-five.’

‘How charming of Miss Danson.’ Hieronymous replied curtly. Awen laughed again.

‘You know, I think you’d look much younger if you stopped frowning.’ Hieronymous ignored her. Instead, he started working on the portal to Cauldridge.

‘What are you doing?’ Awen asked, quizzically.

‘Opening up the portal. Surely you know by now that witches and wizards don’t travel by car or planes.’ Awen nodded. She’d never used a portal before, but she’d heard of them. She wondered if it was dangerous. _Surely not,_ she thought. _Hieronymous would never put me in a dangerous situation._

‘We can have breakfast at Cauldridge. I’d like to get something different than scrambled eggs.’ Hieronymous started. ‘Now. You’ve never used a portal, have you?’ Awen shook her head. Hieronymous looked at her with kindness in his eyes. ‘It’s not any different from transportation. However, you may feel a bit dizzy after your first long-distance transportation. Here. Take my hand. Are you ready?’ Awen nodded, grabbing hold of his hand. 

Awen closed her eyes as they stepped into the portal. She did feel sick in the stomach, but she didn’t open her eyes. It was good that she didn’t have any food in the morning. She was sure that she was going to throw up in any minute. When she felt that she could no-longer take it, she heard his voice. ‘You can open your eyes again. Welcome to Cauldridge.’

 

* * *

 

When Awen opened her eyes, she was amazed at what she saw. The place was full of magic, and different people. She could see elves, fairies, forest-spirits and even goblins. There were all sorts of shops, and signs in language she couldn’t understand. Hieronymous looked at Awen’s face, and smiled.

‘Different, isn’t it?’ He said, in his rich British accent that made her heart melt away. ‘You’ve asked what England was like. This is England.’ Awen blushed. She still remembered the awkward interaction she had with in at the Glen.

‘This is… amazing!’ Awen exclaimed. ‘I could spend a whole day here.’

‘Well, we’ll spend the whole day here today. Let us get some breakfast before looking around, shall we?’ Awen nodded. They walked to the nearest shop, ordered a pot of tea and some sandwiches, and ate in silence. Awen was excited. _Virginia and Ellen are going get so jealous when they find out I have been to England!_ Awen thought, wolfing down her sandwich. _And a new wand! How exciting!_

When she finished eating, Hieronymous looked at her.

‘Now. We should go to the wand shop first – an old friend of mine runs the shop, and I’m sure he can help you to get a wand that is much better than your current one – and there are some things I need to look at as well. If you don’t mind, that is. Then we can have a look at the furniture shop if you’d like.’ Awen smiled. Of course she didn’t mind. She had nothing better to do in any case.

‘That sounds good to me.’ Awen replied. Hieronymous smiled, paid the bill, and led her to a small shop. He was smiling a lot today. Awen felt validated. She was sure that he didn’t mind her being around.

The shop was full of quirky looking sticks.  She knew they were wands, but they all looked so different. Awen didn’t know where to start. It was completely different from the shop she was used to going. Then, she heard a voice.

 Hello, hello! My my, dear Hieronymous! It has certainly been a long time since I’ve seen you here!’ A little man with pointy ears appeared out of nowhere. Awen jumped. The man chuckled.

‘And this must be…’ he started.

‘My wife. Awen, this is Marcus. We studied together.’ Marcus took her hands, and bowed.

‘At your service, m’lady. Well! It must indeed have been a long time! Married eh?’ Marcus chuckled. ‘Well, we must catch up, old chum. But! Back to the business. How may I be of your assistance today?’

‘Awen needs a new wand.’ Hieronymous answered. Marcus beamed.

'Ah – you’ve come to the right place! What type do you enjoy, m’lady?’ Awen blushed. She had no-idea what he was talking about. _People speak funny here,_ she thought. _It must be the British thing._

‘She is a _wildseed_ , Marcus.’ Hieronymous hissed. Marcus looked at her, bewildered. Awen ignored his response. She was used to it by now.

‘My thousand apologies, madam! Ah – Hieronymous! You’ll have to help me. Let’s start with the basics, shall we?’ Marcus started. Awen looked at Hieronymous, who smiled at her faintly. ‘What’s your forte?’ Marcus asked. Awen didn’t know. What was she good at? That was what he was asking, wasn’t he?

‘Why don’t we just let her try some wands, Marcus?’ Hieronymous replied, with exasperation in his voice. Marcus clapped his hands. He reminded her of Potsdam.

‘Wonderful idea! Let me go and get some from the back.’ He disappeared with a blink of her eyes.

Awen looked at Hieronymous. ‘What did he mean, my forte?’ Hieronymous sighed.

‘Normally, when a child is born into the magical family, he or she shows a particular gift in a certain type of magic. For instance, for Miss Danson, red magic seems to be her forte, since it is what she enjoys, and feels most natural at using. Same logic goes with Mr Danson. They both enjoy using red magic, and they are better at casting and wielding it compared with blue magic, for example. However, since you are a wildseed, no one knows. You’ll have to discover that as you discover more magic.’ Awen sighed.

‘That’s bad, isn’t it?’ Hieronymous shook his head.

‘No, and even some children who are born in magical families don’t discover their potential until much later. It is what it is, Awen.’ Awen nodded. He was right. There was no point in pondering on things she couldn’t resolve within three minutes. At that moment, Marcus returned with a handful of wands.

For the next half-an-hour, Awen played with different wands. As she tried more and more of them, she understood what Marcus meant by _forte_. Some wands, for example, didn’t help her to cast a spell. Others, on the other hand, enhanced her ability to cast spells. She eventually decided on a reddish-brown wand. It was made with polished oak, and it looked beautiful. Hieronymous looked pleased with her choice. He made the payment, muttered something to Marcus, and they were off.

Awen felt overwhelmed by the whole experience, but didn’t say anything to Hieronymous. Marcus was such a funny man, but very polite. It was a huge learning curve, and she had learnt so much.

‘I have some business to attend to now.’ He started. ‘You are most welcome to come with me, however if you wish to look around, that’s fine as well.’ Awen smiled.

‘I’ll come with you.’ She replied. She didn’t want to get lost. Not until she knew how to open portals.

For the next couple of hours, they visited different shops. Some shops had interesting artifacts, while others had stacks and stacks of books. Awen followed him patiently, until he was done. When she thought she could no-longer walk, Hieronymous stopped, and looked at her.

‘How are you doing?’ Awen smiled faintly. She wanted to sit down, but didn’t wish to hinder him either.

‘I’m doing fine. Are you done?’ Hieronymous nodded.

‘We should get back to the academy before Petunia starts to wonder. I did promise to her that we’d go to the Glen with her for dinner.’ Awen wondered when he spoke to her. He’d been with her the whole day! Hieronymous saw confusion in her eyes and chuckled.

‘ _Farspeak_ spell, Awen. It’s one of the basic spells you learnt, I believe.’ Awen blushed. _Of course!_ She thought. _Why was she so stupid?_

‘However, I’d like to buy a chair, at least, before we go.’ Hieronymous started walking again, and Awen had to run to catch up with him.

‘Can’t you just transform my suitcase, like you did yesterday?’ Awen asked. Hieronymous smiled.

‘I like keeping some handcrafted items.’ He responded, as they walked into the shop. _What a strange man!_ She thought. _I suppose everyone has his or her quirks…_

They ended up buying several items – Hieronymous seemed to accept the fact that they were going to share a bedroom. A small dining table with two matching chairs was picked out, as well as a small Victorian-styled sofa, if you could call it a sofa. It looked more like a settee. He seemed to enjoy Victorian-styled furniture. Awen wasn’t used to seeing them – actually, she rarely saw them where she came from.

‘Uh…. Weren’t we going to buy a bed?’ Awen asked, cautiously, as they walked out of the shop. Hieronymous did not look at her.

‘I’m sure we can work something out tonight.’ Hieronymous muttered, and Awen didn’t press the matters further. She didn’t want to argue nor discuss their sleeping arrangements in front of everyone.

They walked back through the portal with the furniture. _Transfer objects is a good spell to have up one’s sleeves,_ Awen thought. _Normally, you’d have to get them delivered!_

 

* * *

 

When they returned to their room, the sun had already set. Awen suddenly felt exhausted. In her dorm, she would just plunk herself on the bed and sleep, but since she wasn’t by herself, she remembered to compose herself. Then, she remembered the dinner with Potsdam.

‘What time are we supposed to be at the Glen?’ Awen asked. Hieronymous looked at the time.

‘You still have an hour, if there is anything you need to do.’ Hieronymous answered. Awen sighed. It wasn’t a long enough time to nap. Instead, she decided to help Hieronymous to arrange the room.  Hieronymous let Awen arrange the furniture as she wished. It was a good practice for her levitation skills. As she was moving the furniture around, she realized that the room had a funny arrangement, with bedroom on the right hand side and an area that looked like a small dining room area, on the left hand side. A wall divided the two area. Except for a small fireplace, there was nothing in the dining room area. _Strange,_ Awen thought, _I wonder why Hieronymous hasn’t placed anything here._ _What a funny room!_ Awen decided to move the furniture to the left hand side. Awen soon forgot about how tired she was. _At least there are places to sit other than the floor!_ She thought to herself, while playing with the room arrangement. It had been a long day, but it still wasn’t over.

Soon, they were on their way to Glen. Using portal this time wasn’t so bad. Awen felt that she was getting used to it. _I must ask him to teach me this,_ Awen thought. Portals are so _much easier than waiting for buses or shuttles!_ Soon, they were at the Glen, and Awen saw Potsdam waving at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are enjoying the story so far..!


	5. The Glen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't posted in a while - life got the better of me! Hopefully I will start posting more regularly. Thanks for being so patient!

Awen thought the Glen was always a lovely, mystical place to be in. It reminded of a particular fancy restaurant her parents used to take her to when she excelled in her class. Awen wondered what was going on with her parents. They weren’t the type to make a last minute decisions. It had only been a day, but she still felt at unease. She decided that she'd ask Potsdam during dinner if opportunity arose.

Potsdam rushed towards them with much enthusiasm. Awen could see Hieronymous wincing ever so slightly in the corner of her eyes.

‘You both made it!’ She chuckled. ‘Come, I'be already ordered dinner for us. Hieronymous, having the same as usual is OK for you, right? Awen, I've ordered something for you. You don’t mind trying something new, do you?’

Awen smiled and nodded. She still remembered the time with Damien – when she picked something in random. The food ended up turning out OK – especially the ham with oranges. Awen wondered what happened with Damien. She wondered how he knew about her marriage, and why he avoided her like a plague after that event. Awen would ask Potsdam, but she knew better than. Potsdam was nice – most of the time – unless you crossed her path the wrong way. Awen didn’t wish to get into that side of her.

Potsdam’s voice took Awen away from her thoughts.

‘Awen? Oh, my poor buttercup, you must be exhausted. How did you enjoy Cauldrige?’ Potsdam asked.

‘It was wonderful – very different from New Hampshire, or Iris Academy for that matter. Thank you, uh, Hieronymous, for taking me with you today.’ Awen stammered. _I have to stop acting like a little girl!_ Awen thought. After all, it seemed that she would be spending her summer vacation in the Academy with Hieronymous, as Potsdam suggested earlier.

Hieronymous nodded, as if he was acknowledging her comment. Potsdam beamed.

‘I’m glad you enjoyed it. You can visit it again, I'm sure, before the end of the vacation!’ Awen smiled. She wanted to visit more shops, if possible. After all, the mall near the academy was getting boring.

Potsdam made small talk with both Awen and Hieronymous about the day. Awen answered enthusiastically, and Hieronymous didn't say anything. Instead, he pondered deep into thought.

Potsdam’s voice broke Hieronymous’ train of thought.

‘Well, I'm glad you two love birds had a good time. Now, let’s attend to the matter I've called both of you here to.’ Potsdam started. Hieronymous stared at Potsdam, expressionless. Awen looked at Potsdam surprised. _Matter?_ Awen thought. _What matter? What’s going on?_ Awen was getting a bit sick and tired of being surprised. Potsdam, as if she read Awen’s mind, continued.

‘Hieronymous, as I've told you earlier, Aloysius contacted me. He would like to meet you and Awen together, and since you are both on vacation, he thought it would be nice of him to visit.’ Awen could see Hieronymous’ face harden.

‘And why didn’t he consult me directly, on this matter?’ Hieronymous growled. Potsdam smiled.

‘Well… Aloysius talked about the letters not being delivered properly. Also, he didn't wish to frighten Awen, by contacting her, so he contacted me instead.’ Awen couldn't help herself but to chuckle. She still remembered his father’s letter talking about Hieronymous and his burning letters.

Hieronymous gave Awen a quick, dirty glance. This was't good. What did his father want now? Last time he visited him, Violet died. Ever since then, Hieronymous didn't speak to him. It had been ten years, since he properly spoke to his father. Nor he wanted to speak to him again, but now….

‘Anyway – he wanted you to meet him at the Revere cottage – but I couldn’t answer. So I thought we could talk about this while we had dinner.’ Potsdam finished. Awen looked at Hieronymous. She could never tell what he was thinking. His eyes were dark, and he had a deep frown on his face. _It must be what happened with Violet,_ Awen thought. She didn't dare to vocalise the thought though.

Hieronymous didn't reply. He didn't enjoy dinners with Potsdam. She always had agenda to discuss over dinner. He preferred having dinner alone. Suddenly, the waiter arrived with the dinner. As if to change the topic, Potsdam clapped her hands and encouraged Awen to eat. Potsdam and Awen proceeded to talk about Cauldridge and her new wand, while Hieronymous focused intently on his food.

When the desserts came, Hieronymous finally started to talk, taking both Awen and Potsdam by surprise.

‘Fine. He'll always get what he wants, even if I refused. We'll meet at the school grounds. That way, we're both in neutral ground.’ Hieronymous stopped. ‘I'll write back to him tonight. That'll be sufficient.’ Potsdam smiled.

‘I think that's a wonderful idea. He'll be so pleased to hear from you!’ Hieronymous snorted, and started to fumble for something in his coat pocket.

‘Waiter!’ Hieronymous called out. A funny looking creature, with green-tinged skin rushed towards them. Awen stared at him with fascination. ‘Please sort the bill out.’ Hieronymous said, while passing him what looked like a credit card. Awen wondered if there were banks in magical world. _There must be,_ she thought. _Or where else would people keep money?_ There were so many things she didn't understand or knew about this world.

‘Well, we must be going.’ Hieronymous said, almost angrily. Potsdam smiled. Awen got up in hurry, and decided to follow him. She didn’t want to be stranded in the Glen with Potsdam either.

‘Thank you for inviting us to dinner, uh, Petunia.’ Awen started. Petunia laughed.

‘Of course, dear. Any time. Was your food OK?’ Awen nodded. She couldn't remember what she ate.

The waiter returned with Hieronymous’ card. Without any word, Hieronymous got up and motioned Awen to follow. Awen waved at Potsdam, and followed Hieronymous hurriedly. 

* * *

With a blink of an eye, they were back at Hieronymous’ room. Awen sighed in relief. Using the portal was getting easier and easier. It was like going on the elevator for the first time. You get sick in the stomach the first time, but after a while, you don’t even notice.

Feeling tired, Awen proceeded to the wardrobe so that she could grab her pyjamas. Instead, she nearly walked into the staircase that have seemed to appear out of nowhere. She was sure that the staircase wasn't there this morning. Awen wondered if she was hallucinating. _Great_ , she thought, _I'm really going crazy. First the manus, then…._

‘I forgot to tell you, Awen, that you'll be pleased to know that you have your privacy back.’ Awen heard Hieronymous’ voice from behind. ‘While we were gone, I have asked my friend, Jeb, to construct an upstairs bedroom for you to stay over the summer.’

Awen wasn't sure if she was relieved or upset. On one hand, having her own bedroom back was a good news. She didn't have to tip toe around the place if she woke up early. On the other hand, that meant that Hieronymous didn't want to spend time with her. Awen didn't know if she should laugh or cry. And who was this ‘Jeb’?

Seeing Awen’s face, Hieronymous sighed and slumped on the chair next to him. He didn't have enough energy left to deal with this. After all, he still had to write to his father before the night ended.

‘It's for your own good, Awen. A young witch needs her own space. I expect that you'll be brushing up on your studies over the vacation, and there's no space to do so in here.’ Awen did not reply, but instead, she quickly looked around the room. Perhaps he was right. The room was full of books and strange artefacts Awen didn’t want to ‘accidently’ touch.

Hieronymous became uncomfortable in his own room. Why wasn't she saying anything? Was she angry? Or perhaps, upset? He decided to continue talking.

‘The dining tables and sofa are still where you left them before we left to meet Petunia. That can be the common area – where we can share the space without invading each other’s privacy.’ Hieronymous stopped, scanning Awen’s face for some validation. He found none. Sighing to himself, he continued.

‘Of course…You… you are always welcome to stay here as well.’ Hieronymous squeezed out the last sentence reluctantly. He was desperate to have his own space back, if he was honest with himself. It was getting a bit too much for him.

Awen smiled. Perhaps she was being too selfish. After all, she was invading his own privacy. So far, he has been nothing but a gentleman…

‘Why, thank you. It's very thoughtful of you.’ Awen replied, as cheerfully as she could. ‘Do you mind if I have a look?’ Hieronymous motioned her to go ahead. The staircase was spiral, and was built with beautiful hard oak. Whoever this friend of Hieronymous was, he was very fast at building. _I suppose there is nothing a proficient witch or wizard can’t do._ Awen thought.

Awen gasped when she entered the bedroom. It was an exact replica of her room back home, bar all the electronics. _I wonder how they knew_! Awen thought. It was as if she was back at home. For a moment, Awen was happy. She sat down on her bed. She realised how much she missed her bed. She let out a happy sigh.

Awen heard a small cough, which made her turn around sharply. She saw Hieronymous next to the doorway, staring at her. Awen couldn't help herself but to run towards him and hug him. Hieronymous stood awkwardly, before proceeding to wrap his arms around her.

‘Oh, thank you, thank you Hieronymous. This is what I just needed. Why, it’s just like my own room back home! How did you – Jeb – know? This is wonderful.’ Awen gasped. Hieronymous let out a small sigh of relief. This was turning out to be better than he thought. She appeared to be happy, while he had his privacy back.

‘I'll let you to freshen up. You're welcome to come and sit by the fireplace when you're done.’ Hieronymous said, while gently unwrapping Awen’s arms around him. Awen nodded, and bid Hieronymous to leave. Soon, she was soaking in the hot bath, and she forgot about all her worries. 

* * *

While Awen was blissfully enjoying her bath, Hieronymous proceeded to write the letter to his father. He didn't wish to see him, nor wished Awen to meet him. He didn't want to explain to his father what he was doing that morning – the fatal morning Awen had to come and interrupt him. Nor he thought the marriage was going to last. The age gap was too great – ten years – and despite what Awen had said to him, he was sure that she would eventually find someone else closer to her age. Besides, the marriage ‘contract’ was only for a year. Hieronymous hated the word ‘contract’. Contract made it sound like a business transaction. _I suppose it is a transaction_ , He muttered softly to himself. After all, so many people in the magical world only marry to produce a child… like his mother.

Hieronymous shook his head as if to avoid such thoughts. There was nothing to be gained by going down that pathway. Not wanting to be distracted by other thoughts, Hieronymous quickly scribbled something on the piece of paper, and conjured up a spell to send it to his father. _He would get it tomorrow morning, when he checks his daily papers_. Hieronymous thought. _That miserable old coot. Always wanting to meddle in my business._

He needed some time to think. He wanted to clear his mind. _Perhaps I should go for a walk._ Hieronymous thought. _But first, I should change out of these clothes._ Without any further thought, he went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

* * *

By the time Awen finished dressing, her fingers and toes were wrinkly. She felt a bit guilty in indulging herself, but she concluded that she deserved it. It had been a long day. Curious of what Hieronymous was doing, she decided to go downstairs.

Hieronymous was nowhere to be seen, but Awen could hear the water running faintly. Awen decided to wait – what else could she do? While tossing up between sitting near the fireplace and on the chair, Awen saw something peeking through the pile of books. It looked like a photo. _I shouldn’t snoop around,_ Awen thought, but her curiosity got the better of her. Throwing a quick glance towards the bathroom, Awen quietly walked up to the pile of books and grabbed what looked like a piece of paper out. It was a photo, indeed. There were two people – a blond-haired, happy looking girl, and an equally blissful looking younger Hieronymous. It was a moving photo – they seemed to be walking towards something. Awen felt a pang of jealousy. Hieronymous really looked happy there. No frowns, no hard lines… just a young boy in love. Awen had never seen him like that. It was true that the marriage was forced upon both of them, but still, Awen could not help thinking that it wasn’t fair. As all young girls do, Awen dreamt of her significant other – and it was much more romantic and blissful than the situation she was in.

Not wanting to get caught snooping around, Awen quietly put the photo back where it belonged and decided to sit near the fireplace. The warmth of the fire beckoned her. It was May – middle of spring – and despite the warm day, the evening was still cold. Awen peered out the window. It was raining. She sat down, and gazed out the window in silence.

A creek of the door made her turn around sharply. Awen turned her head. It was her husband, with such a mess of the hair. Awen could not stop herself from giggling. Hieronymous pushed his hair away from his face, and stared at Awen.

‘I'm glad at least one of us is amused.’ Hieronymous growled. Awen laughed again.

‘Sorry. It’s just that… your hair.’ Awen burst into uncontrollable laughter. Hieronymous sighed. He knew that his hair was a mess. He had been putting it off for some time now. He didn't enjoy the trip down to the barber. Perhaps he would get it cut this week, if he had time. Something told him that this week was going to be a busy week. Not wanting to think, he walked to his wine cabinet, and poured himself a glass of sherry. ‘Sherry?’ Hieronymous asked. Awen wiped off tears from her eyes and managed to squeeze out a ‘yes’. He diligently poured another glass, and handed it to Awen.

They sat in silence together for what seemed to be an infinity. Awen felt uncomfortable. She didn't enjoy silence. After waiting for a while, she decided to ask him a question. Awen wanted to know more about a lot of things, such as his father, what happened to his mother, Violet…. But she knew that he wouldn’t give answers to the questions straight away. Awen decided to open up the conversation by asking about his father.

‘So… why do you think you father is visiting?’ Awen asked, cautiously. Hieronymous didn't  respond, nor move. _Will I ever enjoy my own space again?_ He thought. For a moment, he debated whether to answer the question, or ignore it. _It might be better if she knew,_ Hieronymous thought. _It might give her some protection I couldn’t give to Violet. One shouldn’t make same mistakes twice…_

Hieronymous cleared his throat and took a sip from his glass. Awen looked at him intently. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Hieronymous started to talk.

‘My father… is a very peculiar man.’ He started.

 

 


	6. The creature

Hieronymous gazed out the window. It was starting to rain. He could see a faint glimmer of lightening from afar. Perhaps it was going to storm. Peculiar for this time of the year.

He wasn’t sure where this conversation would go. How much did Awen know? It annoyed him to no end that Petunia meddled in his business. Like his father. He was sure that Petunia was paid off to do so. Hieronymous decided to continue with the story. After all, he’d started it. He’d simplify the story. Like he did when he lectured the first-years. He had to simplify the theory so much, it hurt his brain. The third years weren’t much better however…

Hieronymous turned his gaze away from the window to Awen. She had a funny expression on her face. Hieronymous took a deep breath, and continued.  

‘He enjoys meddling in other people’s business. That’s his job, I suppose. Isn’t it what government officials do? Making other people’s business your own.’ He paused to clear his thoughts. Nervously, Awen took a sip from her glass. The sherry was good. She wondered what it was.

‘You asked about Violet earlier. She… died, because of him.’

‘How so?’ Awen managed to get the words out, in almost a whisper.

‘She… Violet… was a bright young wildseed. Perhaps brighter than most witches and wizards I have had a pleasure of being acquainted with.’

‘We were both young and foolish. I was finally enjoying the freedom, out of the grips of my father. You see, in England, we start our schooling at eleven. Most people hated the boarding school. They missed their parents and their pampering. I enjoyed it, however. I finally had a chance to meet people who were like-minded. Who were not….I digress. Violet was in the same house as me – by house, I mean halls. She was one of the few friend I had, and I, eventually we became… very close. She was always interested in the unknown – especially in the Otherworld. We weren’t taught too much about the Otherworld at that stage, and those who knew about it were asked to keep it quiet, as a precaution.’ Hieronymous paused to take a sip from his glass. Awen looked at him in disbelief. She couldn’t believe he was talking.

‘I won’t go into the details of the Otherworld. You’ll learn about it, soon enough. You may have heard of it – the Dreaming. Lord Morpheus – I digress again.’

‘One day, several months before we were about to graduate, my father visited the school without any notice. He wished to see me, but the headmaster didn’t inform me in time. He found me in potions class, with Violet and James, my other good friend. Instead of pulling me aside and talking to me as usual, he wished me to go over to his summer mansion and dine with him. I refused, as I already had plans with my friends. My father simple invited all of us for dinner. No-one could refuse his request. That night, during dinner, Violet started to ask my father about the Otherworld. Unlike our professors, he was rather open about what he knew – and experienced. This sparked Violet’s curiosity further. When we returned to the school grounds, she stayed in the library for weeks – researching about the Portal, I found out later.’ Hieronymous paused to prepare himself for the next part. He realised that he hadn’t let this go, even after all these years.

‘One night, Violet snuck into the our dormitory. She had found a way to open the Portal – and wanted James and I to accompany her. James was too busy with his now wife, and didn’t want to go. He thought it was foolish thing to do. How right he was – it was rather _stupid_. Youth makes you blind, Awen. It’s the ultimate downfall of us mortals. Youth is wasted in the young and foolish mortals.’ Awen opened her mouth to rebut, but decided against it. She wanted to hear the rest of the story.

‘We prepared everything, and opened the portal. It took significantly more magic than both of us could have imagined. That’s when things went wrong. Now that the portal was opened, the creatures of night had a way to enter our world. They saw us – the young magical beings – and… well, I’ll spare you the details. Violet was consumed within a minute and that’s when I first met her.’

‘Met who?’ Awen whispered.

‘Lady Death.’ Hieronymous inhaled in the air sharply. He was feeling nervous. He would finish the story.

‘She took Violet. Violet was wrapped around her great dark wings, and even before I could say good-bye, she was gone. I mean, it was the natural order of things – Of course it was meant to be. But I was young. I pleaded with her, even offering my own life. She smiled at me, however – and told me – that my time wasn’t yet near. That it was meant to be. That was the last time I saw Violet.’

‘Next thing I knew, I was lying face down back at the school corridor, with my headmaster and my father staring at me.’ Hieronymous stopped. He was in pain.

‘There was a huge backlash from everyone – the school, the magic council, my father… There were even threats of expulsion. The portal is not meant to be open, unless… But eventually, it was forgotten. My father said that I was lucky that Violet was a _wildseed_. That I would’ve been stripped of my magic and left for dead if not. That angered me more. I started to blame him – and that, of course, degraded our relationship. When I finished, I left England and I haven’t seen my father since.’ Hieronymous wrapped up the story rather quickly, and composed himself. He stood up, and walked towards the window. It had started to rain.

‘You should go to bed.’ Hieronymous said, curtly. Awen reluctantly nodded, and muttered a good-night. She didn’t want to push her luck too far tonight. He’d told her more than she had asked for the night.

* * *

 

When Hieronymous was certain that Awen was gone, he sighed and sat down on the couch. He couldn’t believe that he had told Awen about Violet. He hadn’t told anyone else about her. He wasn’t sure what was coming over him, and decided to read. Suddenly, he felt someone else’s presence in the room.

He reached for his wand slowly, and turned around. He then heard a familiar voice.

‘It wasn’t all the truth, you know.’ She said, almost mockingly. Hieronymous relaxed.

‘My dear Lady.’ Hieronymous bowed, and looked up. ‘Is my time up?’

Death looked at Hieronymous and laughed.

‘No. I’m visiting my old friend.’ Death said, while making herself comfortable on the couch.

‘What’s the occasion? Wine?’ Hieronymous offered. She laughed again, and shook her head.

‘I’m on tight schedule, Hieronymous. You know that.’ Hieronymous bowed again.

‘So who’s the lucky person tonight?’ Hieronymous asked idly. Truthfully, he didn’t wish to know.

‘No-one. Not from here, anyway. I just thought I’d visit my old friend. It’s been a while, Viscount Grabiner.’ Death said.

‘It has been, indeed.’ Hieronymous replied. ‘However, even the magical beings must go at some point.’ He added, off handily. Death nodded.

‘You shouldn’t have simplified the story so much, you know. The choice mortals make is of no business to me, but at least you should’ve been truthful. If not, why did you even tell her?’ She replied. Hieronymous didn’t reply. Perhaps she was right. What was done was done, however.

‘Are you really here just for a chat?’ Hieronymous replied. Death laughed again.

‘You’re too clever for your own good, dear brother.’ Death replied. Hieronymous flinched.

‘How’s Daniel doing?’ Hieronymous replied instead. Death took hold of a flower from the vase.

‘Life is so… vibrant and pretty sometimes.’ She replied. ‘You know that my century is nearly up?’ Hieronymous nodded.

‘Well, I thought I might come here for a change. You once asked me what it would be like to be a mortal for a day – well, you might get to see it this time round. From a mortal’s point of view.’ Hieronymous turned his head towards her sharply, but did not reply.

‘We all miss you, brother. Especially Matthew. You know that the boy was always a temporary replacement.’ Hieronymous smirked.

‘Perhaps I would’ve been better in Hell.’ He replied sharply. ‘This is worse that hell.’ Death laughed.

‘Life, my dear brother, is always better than being in Hell. In any case, you are slowly getting better!’ She beamed, before departing.

‘Take care of yourself. Remember, dream…’ With that, she was gone.

* * *

 

 

 

The next morning Awen couldn’t find Hieronymous anywhere. Dismayed, she decided to go to the library instead. There were things she didn’t understand from yesterday’s discussion. She missed Ellen. Ellen would have directed her into the right direction. Awen hated going to the library – there were too many books she didn’t understand or care to understand.

‘Awen!’ Someone called out to her. She turned around. It was Jemmie Cardsworth, from the Snake hall. She didn’t know Jemmie well – they barely said a word to each other during the semester. But now that all her friends were gone, Awen was glad to see another freshman.

‘Hi Jemmie. I thought you were at home! Why are you here?’ Jemmie laughed. Jemmie was half faerie and half witch. Whenever she laughed, a fine gold dust sprinkled around her like glow-bugs.

‘Home is boring. Here, I can do whatever I want to do.’ Jemmie answered. ‘The faerie folks don’t like me – so all my cousins are always playing tricks on me. I don’t like that.’ Awen couldn’t contain her laughter. Jemmie laughed as well. Suddenly, a librarian popped out of nowhere and told both girls off. ‘Shh!!!’ She said, before slowly disappearing.

‘Oops.’ Jemmie said. ‘Hey, have you had lunch? No? Let’s go and grab some. I wonder if food’s better during the holidays.’ Awen nodded. She didn’t want to be around the library anymore, especially when the librarian was cranky.

They meandered down to the cafeteria, talking about various things. Jemmie was interested in the green magic. Her older sister was interested in the white magic, but Jemmie was scared of spirits and that sort of stuff. Awen found Jemmie to be rather agreeable. She felt a bit of remorse that she didn’t mingle with other students during the semester. Ellen and Virginia were great, but Awen felt that she should expand her social circle. Perhaps staying over the summer vacation was a good idea, in a round-about way.

‘Who else is staying over the break?’ Awen asked. Jemmie shrugged.

‘Couple of people from my hall are – but then, I am not really friends with them. The werewolf girl – Sarah? She is staying. Potsdam is having a chat to her about full moons though. Haha!’ Jemmie started to giggle again. ‘Who’s staying in the horse hall?’

‘I…I don’t know.’ Awen stammered. ‘I’m not staying in the hall over the break.’ Awen braced herself for awkward questions, but Jemmie didn’t seem to care.

‘That’s cool. Lucky you. It’s good to have the dorm for yourself, but sometimes I get bored. Oh, look! Something is going on in the courtyard!’ Jemmie pointed out. This girl was all over the place. Awen couldn’t help but look at what Jemmie was pointing. There was indeed something going on. A ring of crowd could be seen. Awen’s curiosity sprang up. She was getting rather bored.

‘Let’s go and have a look!’ Jemmie grinned.

‘OK….’ Awen wasn’t sure, but she wanted to know what was going on. It wasn’t a daily occurrence in the school where a huge crowd gathered in the courtyard. Something was going on.

‘You can teleport, right? I’ll see you down!’ Jemmie shouted, before disappearing in front of Awen’s eyes. Awen followed her cue, and soon, she was near the crowd in the courtyard. Jemmie grinned at her and motioned her to follow. Awen nodded and caught up with Jemmie, and tried to comprehend what was going on. Suddenly, at the corner of her eyes, she saw something big moving.

‘Jemmie?’ Awen said, with her voice quivering. ‘What, what is that?’ Jemmie turned around to see what Awen was pointing, and the blood drained out of her face.

‘Uh… uh… this is not good…’ Jemmie stuttered. ‘Awen, we need to get out of here. Now.’ Awen stared at her. But she was the one who wanted to be here! When Awen didn’t move, Jemmie swore under her breath and muttered a spell. ‘Awen, grab hold of my hand. NOW!’ Awen was too slow, however. Before she could grab hold of Jemmie’s hand, she was gone.

‘Shit.’ Awen swore, before running. She didn’t know where she was going. She started to run.

 

 

 


	7. Getting acquainted

Awen had never been good at identifying magical creatures. Potsdam didn't include the history of magic and animal husbandry in the first year courses, which annoyed Hieronymous. Virginia tried so hard to help her get up to speed with magical creatures, but Awen always had trouble with identifying them. Today, however, was a different story. Awen recognised the creature immediately. It was an Amarok, or a giant grey wolf that enjoyed hunting humans. She had no idea what it was doing in the school courtyard, as its natural habitat was icy tundra.

Awen was running out of breath. Her legs felt as if they would give in to her lack of exercise. As Awen was pondering whether she should stop running or not, she bumped into something hard yet soft. Two hands grabbed her, and she instinctively looked up. It was Hieronymous.

'What, may I ask, are you doing?' Hieronymous asked, in almost a quizzical way. Awen tried to speak, but between her huffing and panting, all she could convey was that she saw something that startled her. As Awen calmed down from her run, she noticed the presence of another person.

'Well, you can explain later. Awen, I want you to meet my friend, James.' Awen wanted to dig a hole away from both men. She was always making bad first impressions. Her mind darted back to the name of the stranger.  _James?_  She thought.  _Is this the James he was talking about last night?_ Not wishing to appear rude, Awen exchanged a few pleasantries with James, who replied in the same courteous manner.

'Well, we're attending dinner at James' castle, so you'd better get ready. Do you not recall?' Hieronymous said with exasperation. Awen was awestruck. She did not recall any conversation as such. Hieronymous however, did not give her room to respond. 'James, if you'll excuse me, I'll walk my wife up to the chambers to get ready. Malakai should be in his study, if you wish to pay him a visit.' Hieronymous said to James.

'Of course. Take your time, my lady. I'll be waiting for you both at the courtyard at exactly fourteenth hour.' James bowed, and with a blink of the eye, he was gone.

* * *

 

Hieronymous grabbed Awen's arm almost painfully as they walked briskly to their chamber. Awen dared not to say anything, as she wasn't sure if Hieronymous was angry, or upset. Soon, they arrived at the destination, and Hieronymous quickly opened the door and walked Awen in. He closed the door with more force than needed.

'Did you not read my note this morning?' Hieronymous growled under his breath. Awen was confused. Wasn't he the one who left the room early this morning? If he had something to say to her, he could've risen her up to discuss such matters. She was starting to get angry with all his mannerisms.

'What note?' Awen asked, pushing down her own anger. This seemed to fuel his frustration more. Hieronymous started to pace up and down the room, a bad habit he picked up while he was in his teens.

'I left you a note on the door of your room this morning. The letter had explained everything. Do you know how long I've been looking for you with James?' Hieronymous replied. While his voice wasn't rising, it was clear to Awen that he was angry. Awen didn't respond. If nothing had taught her to survive up to her seventeenth year, it was not to provoke an angry man. Instead, she started to fidget with her hands. Her mother hated that habit of hers, and tried to break it for years, to no avail.

'You've embarrassed me this morning. You are a married woman now. Don't you think of others when you act?' Hieronymous said the last few words with spite. That was it. Awen couldn't take it anymore. Before she could think, words came out of her mouth.

'Didn't you hear, my  _dear_  Hieronymous? I  _didn't_  see your note. If this dinner was such an importance to you, you should've either told me last night or told me in person this morning. It wouldn't have been so hard for you to wake me up anyway. If your mode of communication is by writing to me, you should've also told me of this earlier. Yes. I agree. I'm a married woman now, but I'm also new to this. Besides, being married has nothing to do with clear communication.' Awen stopped to moist her dry mouth. She was visibly shaking.

'I left the room to get something to eat. Oh, am I not allowed to leave the room now, without your permission? Since when I became a prisoner to you and this room? Does being married equal being a possession? An item of object without any freedom? A  _thing_  who gets dragged around by all mighty Lord Grabiner?' Awen couldn't contain it any longer. She started to weep. Awen was so angry she didn't know what to do. She just wanted to go home, to her parents, and forget about this whole thing. Forget about her magic, her friends, Iris Academy, Hieronymous….

Hieronymous didn't say anything. He was shocked. He knew that this was Awen's personality, but no-one had spoken to him like this for a very long time. Awen was perhaps right. There was a mis-communication – no – a communication breakdown, and his temper had gotten a better hold of him. Seeing Awen like this brought back painful memories. Memories that he didn't want to remember.

After what it seemed to be an eternity, Hieronymous finally spoke.

'I – I apologise.' Hieronymous stammered. 'I didn't think – didn't mean to – didn't wish to impose…' He sighed. He was always making mistakes, and in his late twenties, he should have known better. He cleared his throat.

'I didn't mean to make you feel like a prisoner. I certainly don't wish to force things upon you without your consent. I'm sorry… I'm not used to having others around me…' Hieronymous walked towards the fireplace, and poked at the fire. The days were getting warm, but the warmth and the cosiness of the fireplace brought Hieronymous comfort. He couldn't bear to look at Awen's teary face. Awen was right. He should've told her last night. Talking about Violet made him forget about his schedules and manners. The dinner was organised at least a month ago. Really, he should've been more organised. Besides, what was that phrase about forgetting about the past…?

Awen wiped her tears away and sat down. She felt young and foolish.  _I shouldn't have cried,_  thought Awen.  _Crying is an ultimate sign of weakness...but what could I have done? At least I stopped shouting at him._  Awen looked at the silhouette of Hieronymous near the fireplace.  _I can't believe I shouted at him._ Awen thought.  _After all, he is my professor…_ Between the crying, shouting and running this morning, Awen's head started to hurt. She didn't want to walk away, so instead she got up to pour herself a glass of water. She didn't know what to do – was she supposed to approach Hieronymous, and apologise, or just maintain the silence? The dinner was obviously important to him, and the time was ticking. Awen didn't even have any nice clothes to go out for dinner. It was not in the supply list of the Iris Academy, so she didn't pack any nice clothes. As she let her mind wonder, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

'Are you OK?' Awen nearly jumped out of surprise, but forced herself to stay still. For a brief second, Awen pondered on ignoring him. However, she decided that at this point in time, it wasn't the best strategy. 'Men are like wild animals.' Her mother used to say. 'When a man gets married, he's like an untamed horse. Headstrong and fierce. If a woman is tactful however, he'll be loyal and devoted to her until his death. Do you understand me?' Awen used to laugh and tell her mother what strange ideas she had. But now that she was in such situation, she felt that perhaps her mother had a point. Awen decided that she would make this work. But it was going to be a long, hard journey. Awen would have to be patient, and she wasn't the most patient person in the world.

'As good as I can be after an argument.' Awen responded. She could hear Hieronymous sighing.

'I'm sorry.' Hieronymous said, almost in a whisper. It sounded as if he was afraid that someone else might hear him.

'Apology accepted. You must promise me though, that you'll improve your communication skills.' Awen responded. 'Talk to me, if something is important. I don't like to read little bits of notes…we are not in high school anymore.'

'Technically, you still are.' Hieronymous firmly responded. Awen smiled. He obviously didn't like losing the control of the situation. Awen decided to change the topic.

'So – what was in the note?' Awen asked.

'What I've told you before. That a dinner has been arranged at Baron Byron's and that you are required – no – I  _would like you_  to attend with me.' Hieronymous hastily corrected himself mid-sentence. Awen smiled. Perhaps he wasn't such an old dog after all.

'OK – but I've no appropriate attire, and we've wasted the past half-an-hour arguing.' Awen replied with a tinge of concern. 'Is James a noble too? I mean, of course he is. He has a title. I've never been invited to dine with nobles, and I don't really know if my etiquettes are up to the standards of British aristocrats!' Awen exclaimed. Hieronymous silently smiled.

'You're very young. Unless you behave atrociously, you'll be OK. James isn't too much of a stiff-neck.' Hieronymous replied with a softness in his voice. Daphne on the other hand…but this wasn't the time to alarm Awen any further. 'But yes. I understand that this still doesn't solve the problem with the garments. That is why I wished to speak with you this morning.' Awen was rather surprised at how quickly Hieronymous soften up. Perhaps arguing was the best thing she could have done.

'Black magic.' Awen replied with excitement. 'I read in a book that you could transform any inanimate objects using black magic. I can't remember how to do it however…' Hieronymous frowned.

'But you do understand that items modified by magic is never as good as the original object itself?' He replied. Awen nodded. That was one of the first things Potsdam explained – never underestimate the power of hard work. 'However, you're right. We're running out of time. I don't wish to enlist Petunia's help in this matter, so we may have to use black magic.' Hieronymous replied.

'Why are you so hesitant to use magic on a simple thing such as an item of clothes?' Awen asked out of curiosity. 'Surely, witches and wizards use magic to do most things. Do people even make disposable things such as clothes in wizarding worlds?' Hieronymous sighed. He really needed to set some time aside to explain basic history to Awen. But today, he didn't have time.

'Short answer is, yes. Long answer is, no. We can discuss this later tonight, if time allows. I'll wait for you here while you get yourself ready.' Hieronymous replied while urging Awen to get ready. When Hieronymous was certain that she was in the bath, he sighed and sat down in front of his desk. He muttered a phrase, and soon, a blue-tinged spirit appeared. It was a manus.

'What do you expect of me, my lord?' The manus said curtly. Hieronymous was never sure what the spirit was thinking. It was, after all, an entity of the otherworld. He had tried various experiments with the manus, but so far, none succeeded. He remembered the most recent failed experiment that bound Awen and him together for a year. He was so close to crossing the boundary between the current world and aether…until Awen entered the room. He should've been conducting the experiment in a more secluded place, but at that time, he didn't think in such way. Shaking off his memories, Hieronymous returned his attention to the manus.

'It's been a long time, manus.' Hieronymous replied. The manus didn't reply. Instead, he looked at him quizzically with his piercing blue eyes. 'I require your assistance with… women's current court fashion.'

If spirits could laugh, Hieronymous was certain that the manus was laughing.

'Sire, I'm not a creature of this world. I don't know anything about court fashions.' The manus replied curtly. Hieronymous sighed. He knew Daphne. She'd detect the magic even before Awen walked into the room. In the wizarding world, using magic to fix things were not favoured upon. Of course, there was basic necessities that required magic, but in general, most people used magic when it was absolutely necessary. Hieronymous regretted not maximising his time at Cauldridge.

'I could, however, assist you in finding things you required.' Manus spoke in a riddled manner. Hieronymous nodded. After a brief moment of thought, he instructed the spirit with few low mutters. The manus bowed, and in an instant, he was gone.

Hieronymous looked at his watch. It was almost 13:30. He hoped that Awen was nearly done, and that the manus can deliver his promise. He decided to utilise the time to read a book. In the corner of his eye, a book with green cover caught his attention. He idly walked up to it, picked it up, and started to flip its pages.

* * *

 

When Awen finished getting ready, she was feeling much better. When she came downstairs, she saw an ensemble and a beautiful dress on Hieronymous' bed.

'I thought we were going to use black magic.' Awen blurted out as she walked up to the bed. Hieronymous looked up from his book. Without replying to her question, he handed her the package.

'Here. You must hurry. The fourteenth hour approaches. I can explain later.' Awen decided to not press the matter further. Besides, the dress and the ensemble were beautiful. She wasn't going to argue with Hieronymous any further. She quickly slipped into the clothes, checked her hair and makeup, and walked downstairs. Hieronymous had already changed into his outfit.

'Are you ready?' Hieronymous asked, offering him her arm. Awen nodded. He did look much better when he wasn't wearing his scrawny professor outfit. 'You look… nice.' Hieronymous stammered as the teleported to the courtyard. Awen laughed. He was obviously not used to offering complements to people, let alone to an opposite gender. As they approached the agreed spot, Awen could see James with his top hat on.  _These nobles wear silly things,_  Awen thought.

'Hieronymous. M'lady.' James bowed. Awen nodded. She didn't know what to do when people bowed to her.

'Did you find Malakai in his office?' Hieronymous asked. James nodded.

'Yes – he was in ill spirits, but we can discuss it over dinner. I'm sure you will be most interested.' James replied. 'Are we ready?'

They both nodded, as James opened up yet another portal. James motioned them to follow, as he walked through the portal. 'Don't let go. It's going to be longer ride than to Cauldridge.' Hieronymous whispered to Awen as they walked through. Awen held onto his arm tightly. She had another long night ahead of her.


	8. Amorak

 

The trip wasn’t too bad. Awen expected the worst when Hieronymous told her to hold tight. She would have to ask him how to open portals. The first years didn’t get taught such things, presumably to stop them from stepping outside during school hours. Especially Donald. He would be one of the first to do so. Teleportation was useful within short distances only. Awen suddenly realised that it had only been couple of days since the start of summer vacation. She couldn’t keep track of time anymore – ever since she has been hopping to different places with Hieronymous, so many things had happened.

Awen didn’t know what to expect of the evening. Did witches and wizards live in normal houses? Or did they live in eclectic places with no technology and no internet? She should’ve visited Virginia during last break. That would’ve prepared her for such trips like today. She wondered for a second what Virginia and Ellen were up to. It was a surprise that Ellen and Donald were dating each other. She always thought Ellen was a very…reserved person who enjoyed folding her clothes multiple times.

The cool crisp evening breeze of English countryside snapped her out of her thoughts. Awen had to blink her eyes several times to adjust to surrounding atmosphere. Glistening water in the shade of blue, almost green lake greeted her. Through the reflection of the lake she could see a lush dark green mountain and its shadow. In the middle of the lake, she could see a small patch of land with old, yet stunning laurel tree with its branches almost draping over a little cottage. A small bridge joined the cottage to the shore. Her heart almost skipped a beat with joy. The scenery was beautiful, and it reminded of her childhood spent in Gloucestershire. Those were the happy times… she remembered her grandparents’ Border Collie, and how fluffy it was after it was bathed. Awen wondered if James and his wife had any pets. So far, Awen’s impression of James was that he was polite yet reserved. All Awen knew was that James was Hieronymous’ old school friend. She was also getting tired of all the travel they’ve been doing recently – she was so used to her quiet evenings at Iris Academy that this was a bit too much for her. However, Awen was determined not to appear tired, for the sake of Hieronymous.

‘Where – where is this place?” Awen asked softly, even though she was sure where there were.

‘Countryside of Lancashire.’ Hieronymous replied curtly. Awen quickly got the message that he didn’t wish to speak to her – which was fine by her. After all, they had – no, nearly had – first ever fight since getting married. She decided not to be bothered by his mood and instead, enjoy change in scenery.

As they walked towards the cottage, she wondered why Hieronymous called it a castle. The house really did look small, and rather dull compared to the picturesque surroundings. Compared to Iris Academy, however, the cottage was an improvement. There was no _culture_ around Academy – possibly to stop students from sneaking off to places during the semester.

She’d forgotten how uncultured – if she could describe it in such way – Iris Academy was in some ways. In her old school, she was used to frequent excursions to interesting places or attending cultural events. Since arriving at Iris Academy, Awen felt that while she had enriched her knowledge of magic, she hadn’t really learnt much about the wizarding world. Awen found it very peculiar that Iris Academy didn’t provide a comprehensive induction for wildseeds – perhaps every other wildseed was like Ellen, who enjoyed reading and digging deep into the books. Or like herself, who was too busy keeping up with new information every day to worry about such things. Either way, Awen was looking forward to _History of Magic_ in the second year. While she was comfortable with magic, she felt that she was yet to be accepted into the wizarding world due to her lack of knowledge in its culture and history.

Lack of knowledge – lack of knowledge…that reminded Awen of her earlier encounter with Amorak. Her mind darted back to the incident. She was sure that it wasn’t a fig of her imagination. After all, Jemmie also saw it. Jemmie did disappear rather rapidly, and had a look of fright in her eyes. She was a faerie folk after all, and she would’ve recognised the beast. Virginia said that they couldn’t be trusted – something to do with their trickster nature. She decided to ask Hieronymous for his opinion in the matter.

‘Hieronymous.’ Awen tugged his arm gently while keeping her voice down. ‘I need to talk to you about something. Something that happened before I bumped into you.’ Awen said, almost mumbling the words. Hieronymous sighed and looked at Awen with tired eyes, while continuing to follow James’ lead.

‘I’m listening.’ Hieronymous answered curtly.

‘No, no. I need to talk to you in private.’ Awen insisted. She was sure that she would forget about Amorak by the end of the night, and for some reason, she felt that she needed to talk to him about it. It was her gut instinct speaking – like the time with Kyo and Minnie. Awen was relieved that she had told Hieronymous, as if she left the situation to those two, she was sure that it would have ended badly.

Hieronymous didn’t answer. He needed to talk with Awen as well, however the presence of his friend prevented him from doing so. Would it be better if he warned Awen about Daphne? After all, she was a difficult entity to get along with, even after all these years. Awen was still young, and it was his duty to protect her from such…things.

Hieronymous sighed, and called out to James. ‘James, Awen would like to have a look at the surroundings. We’ll follow you in shortly. I am sure we can find our own way in.’ He called out. James stopped and turned around, and gave him a knowing look. Hieronymous was sure James knew what he was thinking, but it didn’t matter. He couldn’t care less at this point in time.

‘Very well. You know the passphrase. It hasn’t changed since your last visit. See you soon.’ James replied, before vanishing in front of their eyes. Awen gasped, and Hieronymous chuckled.

‘How – how did he do that?’ the words tumbled out of Awen’s mouth before she knew it.

‘It’s another way of teleporting. You will learn it next year.’ Hieronymous answered. ‘Now, what was so urgent that you needed to talk in private?’

Awen frowned, before explaining to Hieronymous of previous events. As she spoke the word Amorak, Hieronymous’ face started to darken. Awen however, was too enthralled in explaining, and didn’t notice the change of colour in his face. Hieronymous asked several questions to Awen, however she could not answer them.

‘What were students doing?’ Hieronymous asked. Awen didn’t know. Hieronymous sighed. ‘Did anyone have a look of trance on their face?’ Awen shook her head.

‘That’s not… good.’ He sighed, before sitting down on a flat rock. Awen sat next to him.

‘Do you think it was an illusion?’ Awen asked. Hieronymous sighed again, and ruffled his perfectly combed hair. Awen winced. He’d messed up his hair!

‘Yes, and no. An illusion has to be created by someone.’ Hieronymous responded. Awen cocked her head to one side. He wasn’t making any sense.

‘What do you mean? If it was an illusion, couldn’t it have been one of the seniors playing around?’ Awen asked.

‘No. To do so, you need to have a good control of your magic. Someone must have had enough skills to produce such a perfect illusion. All things aside, in wizarding worlds, such illusion is only cast as a warning. Do you know much about Amorak?’ Awen shook her head again.

‘Amorak is a gigantic grey wolf that often appears in Inuit mythology. In Inuit mythology, Amorak is said to follow and devour any person foolish enough to hunt alone at night. Unfortunately for inuits, it isn’t a mystical animal. It exists. In the wizarding world, the symbol of Amorak is used to warn an impending war or passing of heyday. Most wizards don’t know how to cast such spell, as you require a special knowledge in incantation. That’s why I don’t think it wouldn’t have been one of the seniors.’ Hieronymous’ shoulders slumped. Awen bit her lips. She wished that she could’ve observed the situation a bit better.

‘When the illusion spell is cast, to protect non-wizarding folks, the spell automatically causes the surrounding mass to enter the state of semi-trance. That’s why I asked if students had a look of trance on their face, since it can affect some wildseeds who haven’t completed their training.’ Awen nodded.

‘I mean, there were substantial number of people surrounding something…’ Awen muttered to herself. ‘Jemmie first noticed a ring of crowds before I did, and when she saw the illusion, or symbol, or whatever, she went pale and suddenly disappeared. That’s when I thought I’d run too, eventually bumping into you and James.’ Hieronymous sighed. All this wasn’t making sense to him either.

‘Miss Cardsworth is a faerie. They’re known for their pranks. Something does not sit right with me, however. This does not sound like a prank.’ Hieronymous got up abruptly, and started to pace up and down the road. Awen seemed to have natural talent in attracting trouble. ‘We should go back to the Academy immediately. I fear that our Academy could be in danger.’

‘Hold on, wouldn’t that be a really rude thing to do? I thought we were here because of your friend, James. Besides, Pots-I mean, Professor Potsdam would have seen it too. Surely, she would’ve done something about It by now.” Awen said. Truthfully, she wanted a bit of a break before going into the portal again. She was also curious about James and his house. After all, it was getting late, and she was getting hungry.

Hieronymous didn’t reply, however after a few second of tossing between returning and staying, he decided to send a message to Potsdam. Awen was right. She was a powerful witch, and despite all her silliness, she was probably aware of the situation, if there was one. Hieronymous had a tendency to overreact to a situation to the point of being wrong. Besides, James seemed to have something to discuss with him as well, and Malakai’s abrupt return from the otherworld also didn’t make sense. Hieronymous started to have feeling of déjà vu, but decided to ignore it. He’d analyse all this later, when he was back in his quarters. Now was not the time to dwell on…

‘Hieronymous?’ Awen’s worried voice took him out of his walk down the memory lane.

‘Fine. I will send an urgent message when we arrive at James’ house.’ Hieronymous replied, while urging Awen to follow him quickly. They could’ve teleported in front of the house, but Hieronymous decided to use the walk along the bridge to tell her about Daphne.

‘Look – Awen, Daphne is a dryad.’ Hieronymous started. Awen looked at him with confused eyes. Hieronymous sighed. He was getting tired of having to explain every single detail. ‘Daphne is James’ wife. She’s a tree nymph – a _Daphnaeae_. Hence the laurel tree over the house. She’s very vocal about keeping the magic within the magical families… if she offends you…I do apologise in advance.’ Awen nodded. She was familiar with tree nymphs – one of her classmate was one. She was in Butterfly hall, and always came across as having an air of pomposity. Awen could live with that. She was starting to understand that not everyone enjoyed the company of wildseeds.

‘If she gives you too much trouble… here. Put this around your neck.’ Hieronymous took something out of his pocket and gave it to Awen. It was a small gold charm of a shape of robin, on thin gold chain.

‘What is it?’ Awen asked, hesitant to put it around her neck. If there was one thing she learnt from the Academy, it was not to mess with magical objects.

‘It’s an amulet that’ll let me know that you are in danger. Just touch it lightly with your finger and I’ll be transported to wherever you are.’ Awen looked at Hieronymous with apprehensive eyes.

‘Why – are we expecting danger?’ Awen asked as she proceeded to put it around her neck.

‘No – I hope not – but I’m not certain. I haven’t been out this way for quite some time, and I’m not entirely sure why James wants to see both you and me. It’s better to be safe than sorry. It was Professor Potsdam’s idea.’ Hieronymous said while offering her his arm. Awen was surprised. She didn’t realise that there was such a tender side to him. Perhaps he was starting to warm up to her. Awen smiled a small smile as she took his arm, and continued to walk toward James’ house.


	9. Dinner

The cottage was rather peculiar. One wall appeared to be attached to the trunk of laurel tree, with its branches acting as roof. Of course, it was an illusion, but nevertheless, it fascinated Awen. While Awen was engrossed in architecture of the house, Hieronymous walked towards what appeared to be the front door.

" _Querquetulanae virae_." Hieronymous muttered, and suddenly, the door opened without any warning. Inside, Awen could see a tall scrawny looking man waiting for them. The man looked strange â€“ he looked old, yet young. He looked charming, yet vulgar. He had a strange face with a monocle attached to his left eye. When he smiled at Awen, she thought she saw small pointy teeth in his mouth.

'Hello, Kingsley.' Hieronymous greeted the strange man while giving him his coat.

'Lord Hieronymous. It's good to see you again. And Lady, welcome to the house of Byron.' Kingsley bowed. 'The Master and the mistress are waiting for you in the dining room. Please, follow me.' Kingsley said as he made a motion for them to follow him. Awen mind-numbingly followed Kingsley and Hieronymous through a dimly-lit corridor. This was all too new for her.

The house was definitely bigger than it looked from the outside. Awen started to understand why Hieronymous called this a castle. The cottage must've been enchanted so it didn't attract nosy non-magical beings. She wondered why someone would go to such measures to isolate themselves from the surroundings. Perhaps Daphne wasâ€¦ difficult as Hieronymous said. She was glad Ellen wasn't here. She was hypersensitive about these things. _I'd better watch what I say,_ Awen thought. As they walked through the corridor, the wooden floor creaked softly.

Soon, they were greeted by the sight of a well-lit room. Kingsley led them to their seat as James greeted them once more.

'What a pleasant surprise! I thought you'd returned to the Academy!' James exclaimed dryly. Hieronymous ignored him. James could think whatever he wanted to. He was probably right - if it wasn't for Awen, he would've done so. Instead, he greeted the lady in emerald green dress.

'Daphne. It's been a long time.' Hieronymous nodded to her general direction curtly. _So that must be Daphne the Dryad!_ Awen thought as she looked at Daphne. Awen couldn't help but stare. She was so fair, more so than Minnie or Pastel. Her long flowy golden, almost white hair seemed to accentuate her well-defined facial features. It reminded of Awen of wheat fields in autumn. Awen wondered if Daphne knew that she was a wildseed, and if so, how she felt about Awen.

'Hierornymous. How nice to see you again! Yes indeed - It's been such a long time.' Daphne held out her hand in pompous manner towards him without moving from her seat. Hieronymous hesitated for a second, and reluctantly stood up and took her hand to kiss it. Awen didn't know if she should've greeted Daphne too. She decided to wait before deciding what to do. After all, she didn't want to embarrass Hieronymous with her childish behaviours.

'Yes - time flies by when life is all fun and games.' Hieronymous answered with equally disdainful manner while sitting down slowly. Daphne half-smiled towards Hieronymous, but didn't say a word. Awen shot a quizzical look towards Hieronymous, however he smiled coldly before staring into the void. Noticing the tension between the two, James quickly intervened.

'Well - what a joyful reunion! It's only been 10 years. Oh, how rude of me! Daphne, this is Awen, Hieronymous' wife. Awen, this is my wife Daphne.' James said in a haste manner.

'How lovely to meet you finally.' Daphne responded with a smile. Awen muttered a how-do-you-do before shifting her chair closer to Hieronymous. She felt that Daphne was judging her. Perhaps she should've let Hieronymous return to the Academy. Her big mouth was always getting her into trouble. Suddenly, she didn't want to be here. She started to miss home again. Her life was so simple before coming to Iris Academy. If only she hadn't meddled in other people's business...

The tension in the room was so tight you could cut it with a blunt knife. Awen wasn't used to these sorts of situations. She started to shift uneasily on the chair. She wished that she could speak to Hieroymous through farspeak, without anyone else hearing the conversation. _I must see if there is a spell like that when I go back to the Academy,_ Awen thought.

'Dinner is served.' Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kingsley appeared out of thin air, breaking the ever-growing tension in the room. Everyone made approving noises as the dinner was served. The food looked very good. Awen decided to enjoy the meal â€“ what else could she do?

* * *

During dinner, James and Hieronymous talked about mundane current affairs in the magical world. This suited Awen as she wanted to learn more about what was going on. Iris academy did receive a wizarding gazette once a fortnight, however Awen felt that newspapers weren't the most reliable source of the current affairs. Meanwhile, Daphne hardly said a word, nor looked at Awen's direction once. It seemed to suit Hieronymous. As last of the dishes were taken away, suddenly, Daphne started to speak.

'Choosing a _wildseed_ again I see, Hieronymous.' Daphne said, in almost a mocking tone. 'Wasn't one mishap enough?' Awen could see Hieronymous' lip tightening, but he didn't respond. She knew that he was offended. At that moment, Awen realised that she didn't know much about Hieronymous. While they had been married for five months, she hardly knew anything - after all, they never talked about anything personal. She knew that he enjoyed listening to classical music, enjoyed wine, and seemed to find pleasure at making cynical remarks, but that was it. _I suppose he opened up about Violet,_ Awen thought.

'I think this isn't the best place nor time to discuss my past history, Daphne.' Hieronymous growled. Daphne smiled. She knew how to press the right buttons to get him angry.

'Well - I suppose it isn't - but did you at least tell your poor wife - did you say wife? - the most unfortunate accident that happened to your last one?' Daphne said in nonchalant manner. Hieronymous' face became hard and Awen could see his fist tightening under the table. Awen knew that it was a matter of minutes before Hieronymous unleashed his terrible temper. Without thinking, Awen blurted out.

'As a matter of fact, yes - yes he did. Such an unfortunate accident, I hear. It must've been such a shock to all of you, given that she was your classmate. I hope to not make the same mistake - after all, I do enjoy my life and want to live for a while.' Awen said sweetly while maintaining a smile. She could see blood draining from Hieronymous' face. Daphne stopped smiling, and looked at Awen with her cold blue eyes. Awen decided that the only way to stop this nonsense was to be assertive. Instead of looking away, Awen looked straight into Daphne's eyes without flinching. Inside, she was trembling, but she tried very hard not to show fear.

After what seemed like an eternity, Daphne started to laugh. Awen couldn't help but notice that her laugh was like leaves falling onto the water. Dryads are very strange... much more so than faeriesâ€¦ Awen thought to herself without moving her gaze off Daphne. She didn't know what Hieronymous was thinking â€“ after all, she couldn't see his face nor his expressions.

'Well, well, Hieronymous, perhaps you aren't making the same mistake at all. You've chosen a feisty one this time, haven't you? Perhaps your seclusion with your books have changed you for better.' Daphne said mockingly, however there was softness in her voice. Hieronymous sighed. He didn't have patience for these idiocrasies. He smiled weakly at Daphne.

'Yes - perhaps in my golden years I'm changing indeed. This conversation has been most interesting Daphne, however there are things that we should discuss that is more important than my personal life.' Hieronymous said wearily. 'James. What made Malachi return so hastily?' Hieronymous asked solemnly. James' face hardened.

'There are movements in the otherworld that may be interest to the council.' James paused, before dropping his spoon and looking around the room nervously. 'Are you ready for desserts? If you are, I'd like to continue our discussion in my study.' Hieronymous nodded and looked at Awen. Awen quickly nodded. James looked uneasy, and she didn't want to halt the conversation. Things were finally starting to get interesting.

'Very well. Kingsley?' James called out. Kingsley appeared out of nowhere. 'Please bring us tea and coffee. We will be in my study.' Kingsley nodded, and with a snap of his fingers, they were transported to James' study. Awen was in awe. There was so much to learn. Magic was so... amazing.

* * *

While tea and coffee were served, Awen decided to have a good look around James' study. It was much neater and well-organized compared to Hieronymous'. She could see myriad of interesting looking artefacts behind locked glass cabinets. Awen wanted to have a closer look at them, but decided not to. One confrontational interaction was enough for the night.

After the door closed softly behind Kingsley, James stood up, and muttered something. A purple shimmer covered the walls. Awen looked at Hieronymous quizzically, and he muttered 'protection charm.' James started to pace the room nervously.

'Are you certain that Awen should be part of this conversation?' James muttered. 'She is yet to be part of the wizarding council. What happens if situations arise?' Hieronymous sighed.

'Under my protection, James, it is highly unlikely. Besides, Awen has been involved with the changeling boy, Damien. It is my wish that she stays in this room with us.' Hieronymous replied, however he knew what James meant. In a way, including Awen in this conversation was putting her safety in further danger. 'As a precaution, why don't we cast a binding charm?' Awen's eye widened, and looked at Hieronymous sharply. Hieronymous sighed again.

'It won't hurt you, Awen. You will learn about this next year. A binding charm is a simple charm where it protects the witch or a wizard from leaking any important information out, should they be under a curse.' Awen stood up, and involuntarily, started to move towards the door. Daphne laughed.

'Perhaps James is right, Hieronymous dear. It might be best if I show her around the castle. After all, she is still a trainee.' Daphne said, while looking at Awen. Awen felt a change in Daphne's behaviour. She wasn't sure whether her previous actions softened Daphne's attitude towards her, however she wasn't going to let her guard down, not just yet. Awen decided to stay. As much as she didn't like the idea of a charm being casted on her, it was clear that Hieronymous didn't want Awen to be out of his sight. Awen took a big breath, before speaking.

'Fine. I trust you, Hieronymous.' Awen said. She could see a moment of hesitation in Hieronymous' eyes. 'Now get on with it! Whatever you are going to discuss, I don't want to be responsible for blurting it all out to some random stranger.' Hieronymous sighed and pulled out his wand. As he muttered the charm, Awen felt strange as the charm worked itself like a coil around her body. It felt as if she was a bit tipsy. Before she knew it, it was over. The charm seemed to drain the energy out of Awen. She slumped into the chair wearily.

'Right. That's that. Now, tell me James, what movements in the otherworld startled Malachi?' Hieronymous asked while putting sugar in his coffee. James started to pace the room nervously again.

'Ever since you expelled that demon boy from your academy - what was his name? - Malachi said that there have been some disturbance in the far north settlements. You know as well as I do that the far north settlements have long been abandoned.' James paused to take a sip from his cup. Awen could see that his hand was white.

'You mean Damien?' Hieronymous replied dryly. 'Petunia has him under her control. She has put a powerful curse on -" James cut him off mid-sentence while scoffing.

'Petunia - ha! We both know that Damien is much more of a threat than we once thought. He is not just a changeling, Hieronymous. He is half demon, half fae. I couldn't think of anything else worse than that combination.' James paused. Hieronymous looked at Awen. She was so engrossed in the conversation. Hieronymous smiled to himself and passed her the cup gently.

'Here. Drink this. It'll help you.' Awen looked at him in disbelief. He was being so tender to her tonight. Before she could say a thank-you, James started to talk again.

'Anyway, ever since you let the boy go, unsettling sights have been seen in the wizarding town. Several demon-like creatures have been attacking the border and Malachi said that these creatures weren't like any others he has seen in the past.' James stopped pacing and sat down. Daphne put her hand on his shoulder as if to comfort him. 'Malachi thinks that these attacks are related to Damien. He tried to get close to the abandoned settlements, but I believe that something happened on the way - and hence his early return.' James finished talking. He looked rather worried.

'I think you should talk to Malachi. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.' James said softly. Hieronymous put his cup down gently before speaking.

'Did he find out the whereabouts of Damien?' James shook his head. Hieronymous frowned. This was as disturbing as the sighting of amorak.

'Awen said that this morning, she saw an illusion of Amorak in the academy. Or I think it could have been an illusion. I fear that there may be some connection between the two.' Hieronymous sighed. Daphne looked startled. Awen wondered why everyone was getting so worried about this Amorak. It could have been nothing, she thought. Surely there isn't an impending war!

'Amorak? But who could have casted such illusion?' Daphne asked with a slight panic in her voice.

'I don't know. Something doesn't sit right with me. Malachi shouldn't be back so soon. He would've let either myself or Petunia known if that was the case.' Hieronymous looked outside. It was getting dark, and he wanted to talk to Petunia before the night ended. He looked at Awen. The poor girl looked tired. He was getting sick of being in other people's company. He was at the best of times, mythanthropic.

'I can speak to my sisters to see if they had heard or seen anything. They may have more information than most wizarding folks.' Daphne said. 'Give me couple of days to get in touch with them.' Hieronymous smiled faintly towards Daphne for the first time.

'That would be much appreciated, Daphne. The power of seering in Dryads are much respected as you know.' Hieronymous said curtly as he stood up. 'Well, gentleman, lady, this has been an interesting night. Thank you for your invitation â€“ we must speak soon.' Hieronymous said while motioning Awen to get up.

'Leaving so soon?' Daphne said. 'We have yet to discuss the -" James gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

'I think Hieronymous is right. He should go back to the academy and speak to Petunia. I feel that Malachi wasn't telling me everything. Perhaps he will trust you more. Godspeed, Hieronymous.' James said.

'Thank you - and oh - Daphne - and James - congratulations on your newest addition to your family.' Hieronymous said while preparing for teleportation. Both James' and Daphne's eyes widened.

'How did you - how did you know..?' Daphne whispered. Hieronymous smiled, waved good-bye and muttered something under his breath while holding Awen's arm. Before she knew it, they were back in the comfort of his room. Awen felt sick. This new way of teleportation really didn't sit with her well. She dashed to the bathroom without saying a word.


	10. Petunia

While Awen was in the bathroom, Hieronymous used the chance to take off his hideous clothes - or so he thought – and put back on his old robes. He still wasn’t used to the idea of  _sharing_  spaces with another human being. The idea seemed so foreign to him. Ever since he was a child, he was on his own. His mother never bothered to visit him and his father was more interested in pursuing pretty young things. The “retainers”, as his father liked to call them, or his nannies, never seemed to be genuinely be interested in him.

Hieronymous realised that he had so much resentment built up towards his family. But yet, with all his academic knowledge, he didn’t quite know how to unravel it. He pushed the idea away and decided to use targeted farspeak to communicate with Petunia. The evening bothered him without any particular reason. He quickly drew up the phemes and called to Petunia.

_Petunia – I need to speak to you urgently. Are you in your quarters?_  Hieronymous said.  He could almost feel Petunia’s laugh through her reply.

_You are back! Did everything go well? Was Awen OK with Daphne?_ Hieronymous sighed. He was done with chit-chats for the night.

_Can we discuss such private matters in person?_  Hieronymous answered.

_Oh, I shouldn’t ask these things through farspeak – you’re right. This isn’t safe. I’ll come around to your quarters in let’s say - twenty-minutes. Make sure you prepare some tea! I’ve yet to have my cuppa. Mr Solomon has hurt himself and I need to heal him first. See you soon!_  Petunia ended the conversation hurriedly. Hieronymous was relieved that Petunia was busy. He needed a little bit of time to collect his thoughts. As he prepared to sit down at his desk, Awen came out of the bathroom, looking the worse for wear.  _Poor girl,_  Hieronymous thought.  _She must be so tired. She’s been dragged like a rag doll ever since the school ended._

‘How, uh, how do you feel?’ Hieronymous asked more gruffly than he would have liked to. Awen didn’t seem to notice his tone of voice however. She sighed while walking up to her room.

‘OK. Exhausted. Let me get changed out of these heavy, silly clothes before I talk to you.’ With that, Awen closed her door. Hieronymous looked towards her room for a moment, before making way to the living room.

Hieronymous sat down near the fire while waiting for both women. He didn’t know what to think of the night. It wasn’t terrible – at least he didn’t have a screaming match with Daphne tonight – but he felt that something wasn’t right. James’ story disturbed him. The night brought back bad memories from his past. Hieronymous chuckled to himself. He was more fragile than he thought he was tonight. He often thought of performing a memory wipe on himself, but couldn’t bring himself to do it as he was fully being aware of the consequences. He was surprised and proud of Awen tonight though. She was much stronger than he thought. He decided that she didn’t remind him of Violet after all. They were two very different people. He was sure that Daphne didn’t like Awen, but after tonight, he’d hoped that she’d respect Awen for who she was.

While he was deep in his thoughts, someone touched his shoulders gently. He was startled even though he knew it would be Awen.

‘What are you thinking?’ She asked while sitting down opposite to him. ‘Gosh, it’s very warm in here. I could almost go to sleep right here, right now.’ Awen yawned while making herself comfortable. Hieronymous tried to hide his smile, but couldn’t.

‘I could make it cooler if you’d like.’ He replied. Awen shook her head.

‘No, no. It’s really fine. I’m just tired that’s all. It’s been an interesting couple of days. I decided that next semester, I’ll study harder. All magic is important. I think I was too biased in my learning.’ Awen replied. Hieronymous nodded.

‘Yes. It’s the mistake we all make. You’ll get there.’ Hieronymous replied solemnly. Awen sighed.

‘I wish I was from a magical family. I would be so more apt at controlling my magic. You know, like Virginia. She hardly studies, but she always does well in her exams! I have to study so hard to even pass.’ Awen replied. Hieronymous cleared his throat.

‘Just because you are from a non-magical background doesn’t make you any worse or any less of a witch. There are those who are from magical families – powerful ones – and don’t ever have a good grasp of their magic. Do  _not_  compare yourself to other people, Awen. That’s the worst thing you can do for yourself.’ Hieronymous replied, ending the sentence tenderly. Awen smiled. He was right. There was no point lamenting something she couldn’t control.

‘Besides, past is past… we must put our past behind and move on…’ Hieronymous didn’t finish the sentence and instead, looked down on the floor. Awen looked at him quizzically. She could sense the change in his voice. She opened her mouth to say something, but decided not to. Some things were better left unspoken.

At that moment, they heard the knock on the door.

‘Come in!’ Hieronymous called out. Awen nearly had a heart attack when she saw a thing walk into the room. It was dressed in bright fuchsia pink night gown with bright orange nightcap. It was of course, Petunia.

‘Petunia, must you always dress yourself in offensive colours?’ Hieronymous sighed while getting her tea ready. ‘Milk? Sugar?’

‘I think they are lovely combination, Hieronymous!’ Petunia said with a smile. ‘One sugar with no milk, thank you.’ She sat down next to Awen, and Awen was sure she could smell orange peel on her. Awen wondered if she made the cap with orange skin. Petunia was known to do those things.

‘How was the dinner, dearie? You’ve been spoilt recently! All these fancy outings!’ Awen nodded weakly but didn’t say anything. She too, was tired and wished to go to bed. The life in the academy meant that the lights had to be out by 10pm – and it was past her bedtime.

‘Hieronymous, may I retire for the night now?’ Awen asked. Hieronymous looked at Petunia, who didn’t offer anything back. Hieronymous nodded.

‘Of course. The semester is over, and you are free to do whatever you please.’ Hieronymous answered. Awen smiled, muttered a good-night, and walked up to her room. Once her door was shut, Hieronymous sighed and slumped into the sofa.

‘What’s wrong, darling?’ Petunia asked, while picking up her cup. Hieronymous didn’t answer. He really disliked her use of endearing pet names to people.

‘It must’ve been a hard night for you. I’m amazed that you didn’t come back after a little while.’ Petunia laughed. Hieronymous glared at her direction, but didn’t say anything. ‘How’s Daphne?’ Petunia asked.

‘Pregnant.’ Hieronymous answered curtly. Petunia’s big eyes widened even further.

‘Oh, what a fantastic news! They must be so happy! Oh, do tell me more, Hieronymous.’ Petunia became excited. Hieronymous sighed. He had no more energy for excitement tonight.

‘No. We left before she could tell me all about that sort of things. In another matter, have you spoken to Malachi since his return?’ Hieronymous asked, changing topic. He couldn’t care less about Daphne’s pregnancy. Petunia shook her head.

‘No. He’s been cooped up in his room ever since he came back. I was rather surprised that he spoke with James.’ Petunia replied. ‘Has James said anything?’ Hieronymous nodded.

‘That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. He talked about some movements in the far north settlement and Malachi being the investigator of some curious attacks on the wizarding town.’ Petunia’s big green eyes became cloudy.

‘What attacks, precisely?’ Petunia asked. Hieronymous shook his head.

‘I don’t know. James didn’t say much. I fear that he is hiding something.’ Petunia put her cup down.

‘This is worrying.’ Petunia replied softly. ‘Did you see the illusion of Amorak?’ Hieronymous nodded.

‘I’ve asked Paula to look into it, and she couldn’t give me a clear answer. Strange, as she is usually an excellent seer.’ Petunia replied while frowning. Hieronymous stood up to get himself a glass of wine. ‘Wine?’ Hieronymous offered to Petunia, who in return shook her head. Hieronymous gave Petunia a suit-your-self look.

‘Petunia, why did you let Damien go, when you were fully aware what he was?’ Hieronymous asked with an edge to his voice. ‘Even after what he had done to one of our students?’ Petunia sighed and put her cup down. Her bright orange cap seemed to be duller now.

‘I  _didn’t let him go_ , my dear Hieronymous. He let himself go. I didn’t realise how powerful he’d become. I always feared that he would surpass the magic in the Iris Academy… I must be getting old, Hieronymous.’ Petunia sighed again. Hieronymous didn’t know what to say. Why didn’t she tell him this earlier?

‘So you knew? You knew that he had connection to his demon kinds? And you let him in the academy for three years? Are you ill? What’s gotten into you?’ Hieronymous’ voice started to rise. Petunia looked at him and Hieronymous could see anger brewing in her eyes. It wasn’t a good time to mess with Petunia. She was a powerful witch, after all.

‘I – I apologise.’ Hieronymous muttered while looking away. The flames in her eyes started to die down.

‘Yes – perhaps I was foolish. I thought I could learn more about him – even maybe change him and turn him away from his demon heritage. Damien was always good at charming people. Unfortunately, that never worked out well. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been tracking him ever since... he’s yet to join his kinds. That’s why I had sent Malachi to the otherworld… and it appears that something indeed had happened.’ Petunia replied.

‘Why haven’t you spoken to him yet?’ Hieronymous asked. ‘It’s not like you at all.’ Petunia didn’t respond, and Hieronymous gave up. When Petunia didn’t want to discuss something, there was no point in pushing her. He put his half poured glass down, and started to walk towards the door.

‘Where are you going?’ Petunia asked.

‘Well, since you won’t tell me, I’m going to go and visit Malachi now. Something isn’t right, and I fear our safety – all of our safety. It is my duty to protect the students from theses… unsightly things.’ Petunia sighed and stood up. Perhaps it was wise for her to accompany him.

‘You know, Damien always despised and feared you.’ Petunia said softly as she stood up. ‘I think you were one of the very few people who genuinely hated him.’ Petunia said while chuckling to herself. Hieronymous ignored him. He didn’t care what this demon boy thought of him.

‘Have you put a protection charm on Awen?’ Petunia asked, before closing the door behind her. Hieronymous looked at her with funny expression on his face.

‘Why would I?’ He responded.

‘Hieronymous – she has been involved with Damien before. I fear that anyone who’s been involved with Damien may not be safe.’ Petunia responded with frown on her face. Hieronymous nodded.

‘The room is protected. She will be safe in here.’ Hieronymous responded. Petunia nodded, but before following Hieronymous, she put a charm on the door. If anything tried to walk through the door, she would be the first to be notified. She hurried along, so that she wouldn’t loose the sight of Hieronymous.

When they arrived in front of Malachi’s door, Hieronymous hesitated before knocking. It was getting rather late after all. He looked at Petunia, and she nodded to him. It was a matter of urgency to speak to him. Hieronymous knocked, two, three times, but no-one answered the door.

‘What the devil…’ Hieronymous started to curse, but Petunia shushed him.

‘It’s late. He might be asleep. Malachi usually locked his door when he sleeps.’ Petunia replied, and Hieronymous looked at her with bewilderment. How did she know this? ‘The only way to get in would be to teleport.’ Petunia said.

‘It’s against the rules, Petunia. You out of all people should know that.’ Hieronymous replied, his arms akimbo on his hips. Petunia sighed.

‘Hieronymous, you were the one who wanted to speak to him before the night ended. What do you want to do?’ Petunia replied. Hieronymous thought for a moment, and decided that perhaps Petunia was right. He nodded, and within a second, they were in Malachi’s room.


	11. Malachi

As they teleported into Malachi’s room, an uncanny feeling washed over Hieronymous. His hand tightened around his wand. It reminded him of his final moments with Violet. Tonight, the memories swept on him like the waves on sand. He still remembered the night vividly. As they opened the portal, they both saw the creatures. Violet - who always was the one for being prepared - had her wand in her hand, but Hieronymous foolishly hadn’t. Violet’s voice casting the _ward-off_ spell still rang in his ears. _Hieronymous,_ she said. _Help me! I can’t do this alone! They’re too much for me! Hieronymous!_ By the time he found his wand, she was already long gone. Her voice still haunted him during these long, dark nights. That was what cost Violet’s life – a fumbling second to look for his wand. If only…

Hieronymous shook his head to get a grip on himself. He took a deep breath. The room smelt musty. He could almost taste metallic smell in the air. It smelt familiar, but Hieronymous couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Hieronymous wondered where Malachi was. He was rather upset at Petunia for not checking on Malachi sooner. It was Iris Academy’s protocol. Anyone who spent time in the otherworld had to be _assessed_. They had one to many encounters in the past where… perhaps Petunia was getting old, like his father. Perhaps her time had -

Petunia’s voice drew him back to the reality.

‘Hieronymous – Hieronymous!’ Potsdam hissed. Hieronymous turned sharply to look at Petunia, but it was no use. The room was too dark. Hieronymous cursed under his breath. The night was getting too interesting for his liking. He wanted to go back to his room for his nightly ritual of wine and cheese. He had no one to blame, however, but himself.

Without saying anything, Hieronymous cast _light_. His eyes took a second to adjust, and soon he could see Petunia kneeling on the floor.

‘W-what the devil…’ Hieronymous stammered. It was Malachi, unconscious and bleeding profusely. Loose sheets of paper coated in blood littered the room. Hieronymous felt lightheaded. He couldn’t stand the slight of blood. _Compose yourself, man!_ Hieronymous said to himself while looking away. He needed a breathing space, and a distraction.

Malachi’s room was messy. It appeared that Malachi had quite a struggle with his attacker before he succumbed to his injuries. Hieronymous was surprised. Iris Academy was well protected, at the very least for the sake of students. Any intruder to the school grounds would’ve set the alarm off. Hieronymous tried to see if the intruder was still in the room, but alas, the intruder was long gone. He couldn’t see any track. Perhaps the sight and the smell of blood was clouding his otherwise sharp senses. Hieronymous gave up, and knelt down next to Petunia and Malachi. Malachi was breathing, but his face was pale and clammy.

‘We need to get him out of here.’ Hieronymous muttered while assisting Petunia with her green magic. Petunia nodded. She knew Hieronymous’ haemophobia.

‘What a fabulous idea, Hieronymous. Let’s teleport to the hospital wing. I fear that we don’t have much time on our hands - Malachi might not be with us much longer! Could you…’ Petunia said, while trying to concentrate on the healing spell. Sweat formed on her forehead. Malachi’s wound was significant, and Petunia was having trouble stopping the blood loss. Hieronymous nodded. Normally, Hieronymous would insist on looking for the intruder. Today was a different story. The slight and smell of blood caused him much discomfort. Besides, he could get information out of Malachi if he survived. As they teleported out of the room, a shadow flickered near the window. It grinned, before disappearing into a thin air.

* * *

The three mages landed on the floor with a heavy thud. Hieronymous sighed. He had misjudged the location of the hospital ward. Malachi let out an audible groan. Dr Atkins turning around sharply. For a second, Dr Atkins looked startled, but seeing Malachi’s wound, he rushed to his side.

‘P-professors! What a … pleasant surprise!’ Dr Atkins said as he instructed Petunia and Hieronymous to lift Malachi up onto one of the empty beds. The white bed sheets instantaneously turned into a shade of crimson red. Hieronymous looked away. He was really starting to feel sick. Dr Atkins ran to his cupboard of potions and started to frantically search for something.

‘Oh dear. What happened to Professor Clark? Where is this potion – ah – perhaps you can tell me later. We don’t have much time on our hands! Darn it! I was sure that I had my spare supplies here…’ Dr Atkins said while rummaging through his cupboard. Hieronymous didn’t reply, but looked at Petunia.

‘We are terribly sorry for such short notice… we don’t know what happened either. Hieronymous and I found him like this in his quarters.’ Petunia sighed, while looking at Malachi pitifully. She was also surprised and concerned that there was even an intruder to the academy. _The golems should’ve fended off the intruder._ Petunia thought. _I wonder if it was…_ Dr Atkins ran back with a small bottle and poured it in Malachi’s mouth. Malachi’s face scrunched up. Even in his comatose state, it was evident that the liquid tasted foul. Seeing this, Dr Atkins held his patient’s head up until he was satisfied that the liquid was swollen. Dr Atkins sighed. 

‘Of course. My pleasure. It’s far too late for you to tell me anything in detail. You both look worn – perhaps you could visit Professor Clark tomorrow.’ Dr Atkins said with a worn-out smile. Both Petunia and Hieronymous looked at each other and nodded. They both knew that Dr Atkins needed space to treat Malachi. They both muttered a good-night to the doctor, and closed the door behind them.

They walked towards their quarters in silence, each deep in their own thoughts. Hieronymous desperately wanted to get out of his blood-laden robes. The smell was really getting to him.

‘Well, I suppose I’ll come and see you tomorrow morning.’ Hieronymous muttered as they approached his door. Petunia nodded. It was best to let him retire for the night. She didn’t want to deal with another injured staff – one was enough for the night.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll speak to Randal tomorrow morning. Being the groundskeeper, he might have seen something. Rest up – I have a feeling that we’ll have interesting couple of days before your father’s visit.’ Petunia said softly before bidding him good night. Hieronymous sighed as he closed the door behind him. The night’s events disturbed him. He really wanted to have a glass of wine, but decided to have a bath first. He needed space to think. Hieronymous sighed and walked into the bathroom. It was going to be another sleepless night. 

* * *

Awen woke up as someone closed a door forcefully. Awen yawned, and glanced at her clock. It was past midnight. She tucked herself further, but it was no use. She was thirsty. Normally, she would conjure up water, but she didn’t have a cup around her room. Awen didn’t really want to leave her room either. She didn’t want to disturb Hieronymous. After tossing up for a minute, Awen decided to quietly go downstairs to borrow a cup. Awen rubbed her eyes and looked for her dressing gown. To her surprise, it was next to her bed. She couldn’t believe how well Hieronymous and his friend recreated her bedroom back home. It was comforting to be in the familiar surroundings. Awen put on her slippers, and quietly opened her bedroom door. She silently went down the stairs and started to look for a cup in the living area. She was sure that she left one on the table before going to bed. Unfortunately for Awen, Hieronymous had already cleared the table for the night. Awen sighed and conjured a small light. She covered it up with her hands, and slowly made her way to Hieronymous’ wooden cabinet. As she walked, her slippers made noise. She decided to take it off. As she bent down to take off her slippers, she saw Hieronymous’ robes on the floor. It was stained with blood. Awen gasped. She intensified the light, and saw bloodied foot stains around the room. _Oh no,_ Awen thought. Starting to panic. _Hieronymous is hurt! What the hell! How did I sleep through this!_

‘Hieronymous?’ Awen called out softly. No answer. ‘Hieronymous! Are you OK? Where are you?’ Awen started to panic, and frantically called his name. ‘God dammit, why can’t I make this light brighter? What was the spell again…’ Awen muttered to herself while racking her brain. Suddenly, the whole room brightened. Awen squinted, letting her eye adjust to light. It was Hieronymous, looking like a wet rat, standing in front of the bathroom.

‘What are you doing up at this time of the night! Go back to bed!’ Hieronymous hissed, before he looked down on the floor. His room also looked like a murder scene. Hieronymous understood Awen’s panicked voice. He sighed, and without looking at the floor, casted a cleaning spell. Within seconds, the room was clean again. He really didn’t want to look at anything bloody tonight. He couldn’t hold his urge to vomit any longer.

‘I-I’m sorry, I was just looking for a cup. I was thirsty. A-are you OK?’ Awen stammered, slowly backing away. Hieronymous nodded before handing her a cup with water. Awen gasped again. _Where did he get that from!_ Awn thought. She drank it eagerly while Hieronymous walked out of the bathroom and poured himself a glass of wine. He took a sip, and slumped in the nearby chair.

‘I’m fine. That’s not my blood. Go back to bed.’ Hieronymous said without looking at Awen. Awen thought of rebutting, but she was much too tired to fight back. Without saying anything, she slowly walked back to her room. There would be time to ask him questions. Tonight, she needed to sleep. 

When Hieronymous was certain that Awen was sleeping, he casted a memory spell and put his memories into a small clear ball. He flicked his memories through until he found the one he wanted to see. It was the memory of Violet and himself running through the school grounds. They both looked happy and innocent. Hieronymous sighed, and played the memory over and over until he fell asleep on the chair. A single drop of tear fell from the corner of his right eye as he doused off. As he doused off, Death appeared out of nowhere. She saw him sleeping, and a smile creeped up around her small mouth. Without making any noise, she walked up the stairs and knocked on Awen’s bedroom door. 

* * *

 Awen was about to fall asleep when she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door. She sighed, put on her dressing gown and opened the door. She expected Hieronymous – instead, a pale young woman dress in black top and jeans appeared in front of her.

‘Hi!’ Death said cheerfully as she walked into Awen’s bedroom casually. ‘Wow, you have such a nice bedroom!’ Death laughed before sitting on top of Awen’s bed. Awen was shocked. She didn’t even know who this girl was. Did Hieronymous know that there was someone in his room?

‘Uh, w-who are you? Did Professor Grabiner send you upstairs?’ Awen said, clutching her wand tightly. Death laughed, before answering Awen’s question.

‘No, but I just wanted to meet the lady my brother married to.’ Death said while carefully studying Awen. ‘You remind me of someone – but then everyone reminds me of everyone!’ Death said casually. Awen didn’t answer back. She didn’t realise that Hieronymous had a sister. She thought…

‘Oh, I know what you are thinking. I’m not talking about the _mortal_ version of my brother – what do you call him again? Hieronymous, I believe. I’m talking about Morpheus. Oh, he didn’t tell you? Don’t worry. He’s yet to embrace the fact himself. It’s only been 27 human years after all. Perhaps he’ll come around later on.’ Death said while lying herself down on Awen’s bed. Awen was utterly confused and a bit upset. Who was this lady, claiming to be Hieronymous’ sister? And who did she think she was to just barge into Awen’s room?

‘What do you mean, Morpheus?’ Awen managed to squeak some words out. Death laughed again, and stood up. She walked next to Awen, and sat on her desk.

‘I won’t spoil the fun for my brother. He can explain this to you more when the time comes.’ Death said while pulling out a lollipop out of her pocket. ‘Do you want one?’ Awen shook her head.

‘Suit yourself.’ Death said as she popped it into her mouth. ‘I was meant to collect someone – but thanks to your magic, my services are no longer needed here tonight.’ Death said. ‘So, I thought I’d kill some time and hang out with you.’ Death said, smiling. Awen smiled back. She didn’t really know who this lady was, but she was charming when she smiled.

‘Oh, I’m Death by the way.’ Death said, holding out her hand. Awen looked startled. _Death? Like, the death?_ She thought. _What strange family Hieronymous has! Who would name their child Death!_

‘N-nice to meet you, Death.’ Awen stammered. Death smiled.

‘Now, if I was you, I would be very _very_ careful for the next couple of days. You know, you might have to watch your steps and your back. Just a thought. Anyway, I better get going. My job is never-ending!’ Death said, while opening Awen’s door. Before she walked down the stairs, Death turned around. ‘And, I wouldn’t say anything to my brother either… just keep this secret between you and I. Ok? Well, bye!’ Death said as she skipped downstairs, leaving Awen wide-eyed and awake.


End file.
